Cotton dust concentrations and particle size distributions associated with genotypes.

The problem of byssinosis has plagued cotton textile mills for hundreds of years, and it is still a problem today. With the regulations on airborne raw cotton dust set by OSHA and the ACGIH, research regarding the measurement of cotton dust in lint fiber is a necessity. A procedure known as the mass concentration particle size distribution (MCPSD) technique, developed at Texas A&M University, was used to measure the characteristics of cotton dust as affected by harvesting method and genotype. Cotton genotypes from three harvest seasons were analyzed by using a Coulter Counter, Model TAII, to obtain the mass concentrations and particle size distributions of dust present in the lint fiber. The genotypes were subjected to both hand harvesting and conventional spindle harvesting for comparison purposes. Results from the dust concentration analyses of particles less than 100 micron, 16 micron, and 8 micron in diameter, respectively, are presented. Also, a proposed procedure to obtain large quantities of "cotton dust" from gin trash material is discussed.