| Agent Name |
Portland cement |
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| CAS Number |
65997-15-1 |
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| Major Category |
Mineral Dusts |
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| Synonyms |
Cement; Hydraulic cement; Portland cement silicate; [NIOSH] |
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| Category |
Other Mineral Dusts |
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| Description |
Gray, odorless powder; [NIOSH] |
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| Sources/Uses |
A class of hydraulic cements containing tri- and dicalcium silicate in addition to alumina, tricalcium aluminate, and iron oxide; [NIOSH] Finished cement contains silicate compounds, but little or no quartz. [ACGIH] Crystalline silica not bound to other minerals is "free" silica. Silicates are minerals in which silicon and oxygen are combined with other elements. [Rom, p. 364] |
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| Comments |
Chromium is a major cause of allergic contact dermatitis among workers handling cement, particularly those manufacturing prefabricated concrete building units. Samples of American cement contained 5 to 124 ppm chromium content, while European samples contained 32 to 176 ppm. Wet cement can also cause irritant dermatitis and third degree burns after prolonged skin contact. [Marks, p. 273] Regarding potential adverse effects on the lung, "Portland cement dust is considered to have little potential to induce adverse effects on the lung such as pneumoconiosis or fibrosis." [ACGIH] A cross-sectional study of 126 production workers in Tanzania showed a significant relationship between cumulative cement dust exposure and FVC/FEV1 pulmonary function measurements. "A significant risk for developing COPD is found for those working for more than 10 years at 10 mg/m3." The authors noted the recent negative studies of cement workers in the USA, Jordan, Taiwan, and Norway where dust exposures were low compared to those in Tanzania. [Reference #1] Wet cement causes alkaline burns as calcium oxide reacts and makes calcium hydroxide. [Reference #2] |
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| Restricted |
The EU regulates soluble chromium in cement to a maximum of 0.0002% to prevent allergic contact dermatitis. [van der Molen HF, et al. World at work: Bricklayers and bricklayers' assistants. Occup Environ Med 2004;61:89-93] |
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| Reference Link |
Respiratory symptoms and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among cement factory workers. |
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| Exposure Assessment |
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| Skin Designation (ACGIH) |
No |
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| TLV (ACGIH) |
10 mg/m3 |
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| PEL (OSHA) |
15 mg/m3(total dust), 5 mg/m3(respirable fraction) |
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| MAK |
5 mg/m3, inhalable fraction |
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| IDLH (NIOSH) |
5000 mg/m3 |
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| Excerpts from Documentation for IDLHs |
Basis for revised IDLH: The available toxicological data contain no evidence that an acute exposure to a high concentration of Portland cement would impede escape or cause any irreversible health effects within 30 minutes. However, the revised IDLH for portland cement is 5,000 mg/m3 based on being 500 times the NIOSH REL of 10 mg/m3 (500 is an assigned protection factor for respirators and was used arbitrarily during the Standards Completion Program for deciding when the "most protective" respirators should be used for particulates). |
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| Explanatory Notes |
See 2008 Notice of Intended Changes. [ACGIH] |
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| Reference Link |
Health Effects of Construction Materials |
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| Adverse Effects |
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| Chronic Bronchitis |
Yes |
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| Dermatotoxin |
Skin Burns |
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| Skin Sensitizer |
Yes |
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| Links to Other NLM Databases |
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