Asbestos Disease Report: Data Limitations and Permissible Limits

Read the report from the CDC regarding the lung diseases associated with exposure to asbestos and other carcinogens. This section details data limitations and exposure level limits.

Although OSHA adopted permissible exposure limits (PELs) of 0.1 mg/m3 for quartz and 0.05 mg/m3 for cristobalite that were enforced from March 1, 1989 through March 22, 1993, neither OSHA nor MSHA currently has a PEL specific to any form of crystalline silica. Instead, the relevant PELs are for respirable dust containing crystalline silica. These PELs take the form of formulas in which the PEL for respirable dust is reduced as the crystalline silica content of the dust increases. The PEL formulas vary with the agency and the industry, but, with all of them, the effective allowable exposure to quartz is less than or equal to 0.1 mg/m3 and the effective allowable exposure to cristobalite is less than or equal to 0.05 mg/m3, regardless of silica content. Thus, the percentage of OSHA samples exceeding the PEL is greater in the years when the formula PEL is applied (in this report, all years except 1989 through 1993) than it would be if a 0.1 mg/m3 quartz or 0.05 mg/m3 cristobalite PEL had been applied for these years. Readers should keep the preceding explanation in mind when considering data presented in this report showing apparent temporal discontinuities in the annual percentage of OSHA silica samples exceeding the PEL.

The percentage of respirable coal mine dust samples exceeding the PEL was calculated using the MSHA PEL of 2 mg/m3 MRE for respirable coal mine dust containing no more than 5% quartz. Because the quartz content could not be reliably identified for most of the respirable coal mine dust samples, no attempt was made to use the MSHA formula for reducing the PEL when the quartz content exceeded 5%. Thus, as presented in this report, the percentage of respirable coal mine dust samples exceeding the PEL is a lower limit, and the actual percentage exceeding the PEL is very likely higher than reported.

Courtesy of the CDC

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