Allgemeiner Staubgrenzwert. Teil 1: Allgemeines

The newly applying general dust limit value, defined by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) (German Research Association) in 1997, is intended to prevent work-related chronic bronchitis and pulmonary emphysema. In addition to a revised general dust limit for the respirable fraction, which was lowered from 6 to 1.5 mg/m 3 , the experts introduced, for the very first time, a limit value for the inhalable fraction, too, which was fixed at 4 mg/m 3 . Both limit values are not meant as long-term limits but as shift means. Both MAK-values apply to insoluble dusts for which no other regulation exists, or to mixed dusts. As these suggestions are about to be included in the German TRGS 900 Atmospheric limit values, the authors present and discuss special aspects in connection with the scientific deduction of the limit values and with their scopes of application. Reference is made to the role of confounders and dust density, to the question of solubility, to the deduction of shift means from long-term limits and to the problem of ultrafine and roughly dispersed particles. International regulations relating to the general dust limit value are compared.