A chemical and engineering analysis of dust in textile mills.

Proximate chemical analysis was conducted on the carding, spinning and weave rooms of textile mills. The dust was found to be composed of inorganic, cellulosic and noncellulosic organics in carding and spinning. The percentage of noncellulosic organic (the component of cotton dust considered to be responsible for byssinosis in cotton textile workers) in ring spinning was found to be one-half the percentage composition of the card room dust. The cellulosic percentage of spinning room dust is elevated above that found in card rooms. In weave rooms the composition of dust is a function of the fabric being produced, environmental control systems, and machinery. In all weave rooms where dust levels were sufficiently above background, all components of the dust were accounted for by the proximate chemical analysis without the presence of a noncellulosic organic component. The card room, spinning room and weave room produce dusts that are very different in composition, to the extent that the proximate chemical analysis could identify the area of origin of dust samples from a textile mill.