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Volume 16
Issue 17
10.3390/ijerph16173226
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Article

Occupational Exposures in an Equestrian Centre to Respirable Dust and Respirable Crystalline Silica

by
Kathleen Bulfin
1,
Hilary Cowie
2,
Karen S. Galea
2,
Alison Connolly
1 and
Marie Ann Coggins
1,*
1
Centre for Climate and Air Pollution Studies, School of Physics and Ryan Institute, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, H91 CF50 Galway, Ireland
2
Centre for Human Exposure Science, Institute of Occupational Medicine, Edinburgh EH14 4AP, UK
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16(17), 3226; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16173226
Submission received: 14 August 2019 / Revised: 28 August 2019 / Accepted: 31 August 2019 / Published: 3 September 2019
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Occupational and Environmental Cancer)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Sand-based products are regularly used as footing material on indoor equestrian arenas, creating a potential occupational exposure risk for respirable crystalline silica (RCS) for equestrian workers training and exercising horses in these environments. The objective of this study was to evaluate an equestrian worker’s personal RCS and respirable dust (RD) exposure. Sixteen personal full-shift RD measurements were collected from an equestrian worker and analysed for RD, quartz and cristobalite. Geometric mean exposures of 0.12 mg m−3 and 0.02 mg m−3 were calculated for RD and RCS concentrations, respectively. RCS exposures of between 0.01 to 0.09 mg m−3 were measured on days when the indoor arena surface was not watered, compared to lower exposures (<LOD-0.03 mg m−3) on days when the indoor arena was watered (p < 0.01); however, manual watering is time intensive and less likely to be implemented in practice. This small-scale study provides new data on RCS and RD exposures among equestrian workers. RCS exposures are within the range considered to be associated with increased risk for lung cancer. The use of dust control solutions such as water suppression should be promoted for equestrian work in horse riding arenas. Equestrian workers need to receive occupational health training on the health risks associated with RCS exposure.
Keywords: respirable crystalline silica; respirable dust; occupational lung cancer; occupational exposure respirable crystalline silica; respirable dust; occupational lung cancer; occupational exposure

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MDPI and ACS Style

Bulfin, K.; Cowie, H.; Galea, K.S.; Connolly, A.; Coggins, M.A. Occupational Exposures in an Equestrian Centre to Respirable Dust and Respirable Crystalline Silica. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16, 3226. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16173226

AMA Style

Bulfin K, Cowie H, Galea KS, Connolly A, Coggins MA. Occupational Exposures in an Equestrian Centre to Respirable Dust and Respirable Crystalline Silica. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2019; 16(17):3226. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16173226

Chicago/Turabian Style

Bulfin, Kathleen, Hilary Cowie, Karen S. Galea, Alison Connolly, and Marie Ann Coggins. 2019. "Occupational Exposures in an Equestrian Centre to Respirable Dust and Respirable Crystalline Silica" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 16, no. 17: 3226. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16173226

APA Style

Bulfin, K., Cowie, H., Galea, K. S., Connolly, A., & Coggins, M. A. (2019). Occupational Exposures in an Equestrian Centre to Respirable Dust and Respirable Crystalline Silica. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(17), 3226. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16173226

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