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For information related to construction, see OSHA's Silica, Crystalline - Construction page.

• Silica. OSHA eTool. Provides instruction to evaluate silica exposure in the workplace, to obtain a measurement of silica concentration, to determine allowable levels and to take protective measures.
  • Probable Use of Silica. Lists industries, occupations, and materials where exposure to silica is likely.
• Kane F. The campaign to end silicosis. Job Safety & Health Quarterly (JSHQ). 1997 Winter/Spring. Discusses the national education campaign, "If It's Silica, It's Not Just Dust."
• Exposure to Silica Dust on Continuous Mining Operations Using Flooded-Bed Scrubbers. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 97-147, (1997, August). Describes the hazard of silica exposures when flooded-bed scrubbers are designed improperly, and provides recommendations.
• Silica Crystalline: Quartz - Analytical Methodologies. OSHA, (2003). Reviews analytical methods for silica.
• OSHA Technical Manual (OTM). OSHA Directive TED 01-00-015 [TED 1-0.15A], (1999, January 20).
  • Sampling for Special Analyses. Includes sampling information for crystalline silica.
  • Sample Shipping and Handling. Contains sample handling, packaging, and mailing instructions for industrial hygiene samples to be shipped.
• Cyclone Leak Test Procedure. OSHA, (1997, September 15). Describes a method of leak testing cyclone sampler assemblies used for respirable sampling of silica.
• Silica Industrial Hygiene Monitoring - OSHA Consultation Program. OSHA, (1994, August), 39 KB PDF, 3 pages. Shows the x-ray diffraction pattern - quartz standard, and other information for evaluating silica.
• Issues and Controversy: The Measurement of Crystalline Silica. International Symposium, (1992, August 20-21). Includes a paper entitled "Evaluation of the Detectability and Quantification of Respirable Crystalline Silica by X-ray Powder Diffraction Methods."
• Overview of Analytical Procedure. OSHA, 2 MB PDF, 1 page. Shows a flow chart for the handling of silica samples.
• Laboratory Selection - Criteria That Can Be Used to Select a Laboratory. American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), Industrial Hygiene Laboratory Accreditation Committee, 182 KB PDF, 9 pages. Includes a checklist and questionnaire that can be used when selecting a laboratory.

• Chemical Sampling Information (CSI). OSHA. Presents, in concise form, data on a large number of chemical substances that may be encountered in industrial hygiene investigations:
  • Silica, Crystalline Quartz, Respirable Dust
  • Silica, Crystalline Tripoli (as Quartz), Respirable Dust
  • Silica, Crystalline Cristobalite, Respirable Dust
  • Silica, Crystalline Tridymite, Respirable Dust
  • Silica (Quartz, Total)
  • Coal Dust (> or = 5% SiO₂) (Respirable Quartz Fraction)

• Partial list of substances that may contain crystalline silica >1%:
  • Soapstone (Total Dust)
  • Soapstone (Respirable Fraction)
  • Portland Cement (Total Dust)
  • Graphite, natural respirable dust
• Other:
  • Silica, Amorphous, Precipitated and Gel
  • Silica, Amorphous, Diatomaceous Earth (<1% Crystalline Silica)
  • Silica, Fused (Respirable Dust)
  • Coal Dust (<5% SiO₂, Respirable Fraction)

• Quartz and Cristobalite in Workplace Atmospheres. OSHA Method ID-142, (1996, December). Describes the collection of airborne respirable α-quartz and/or cristobalite in the breathing zone of personnel and the subsequent analysis by x-ray diffraction (XRD). Tridymite can also be collected and analyzed using this method if a reference material and diffraction pattern for tridymite are used.
• Sampling and Analysis of Crystalline Silica - X-ray Diffraction (XRD). OSHA, (1997, June 27). Provides extensive sampling information, including links and frequently asked questions (FAQs).
• NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods (NMAM). US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 94-113, (1994, August). Contains extensive information on direct-reading instruments. The following NIOSH methods use direct-reading techniques:
  • Silica, Crystalline by XRD. Method No.7500, 35 KB PDF, 8 pages.
  • Silica, Amorphous. Method No. 7501, 29 KB PDF, 8 pages.
  • Silica, Crystalline by VIS. Method No. 7601, 23 KB PDF, 5 pages.
  • Silica, Crystalline by IR. Method No. 7602, 22 KB PDF, 5 pages.
  • Silica, Crystalline in coal mine dust, by IR. Method No. 7603, 26 KB PDF, 6 pages.
• Quartz Analytical Method (P-7), Infrared Determination of Quartz in Respirable Coal Mine Dust. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), (1994, November 14). This method uses infrared to determine the silica content of a sample.