[The significance of dust in the evaluation of the potential health risk in chemical industry plants].

According to statistics, occupational diseases (and respiratory disorders in particular) are rare. Occupational disease accounted for only 1.5% of all job-related disabilities registered with the Swiss Accident Insurance Institute (SUVA) in 1984. Skin disorders (37.1%) are the leading form of occupational disease, followed by disturbances of the locomotor apparatus (36%) arising from physical causes. Pneumoconiosis (quartz, asbestos) accounts for 2.8% of cases. Chronic disorders of the respiratory tract brought about by irritant or toxic gases are buried away under the heading of 'chronic poisoning' (7.8%). Bronchitis caused by organic dust (0.3%) is listed under 'other disorders' (13.9%). It is shown that, depending on the type of chemical manufacturing involved, major significance is attached to the role of dust as a potentially dangerous substance and thus to monitoring and prevention at source. Attention is particularly drawn to the hazard posed by lipophilic dust (aromatic amines, organic phosphates, etc.) which can easily pass through intact skin and penetrate into the body unnoticed. Uptake of toxic agents through the skin is not registered by the devices used to test air quality, but can only be ascertained by detection of toxic substances or metabolites in the urine or the blood (biological monitoring). Finally, it is pointed out that--in general--MAC or BEI limits have not been stipulated for biologically active dust, with the exception of a few values for insecticides. The 'general upper limit' of 6 mg/m3 for inert dust is of no use in the monitoring of dust from biologically active products.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)