The standard defines the methodology for measuring and characterizing the dustiness of bulk materials that contain or release NOAA, or other respirable particles, in standard and reproducible conditions, using the rotating drum method.
The document describes the type of instruments and devices, and the procedures for calculating and presenting the results. It also indicates the guidelines for the evaluation and how to report the data.
The methodology described in this document allows:
a) the measurement of the mass fraction of the inhalable, thoracic and breathable dustiness,
b) the measurement of the dustiness index based on the particle count in the respirable fraction of the airborne dusts having an aerodynamic diameter between about 10 nm and 1 µm,
c) the measurement of the emission speed based on the number of particles in the respirable fraction of airborne dusts having an aerodynamic diameter of between about 10 nm to about 1 µm,
d) the measurement of the particle distribution in the aerosol released in the range of aerodynamic diameter between 10 nm to about 10 µ,
e) collection of the particles in the respirable dust fraction for subsequent observations and analyzes by electron microscopy
This document is applicable to analyze a wide range of materials including powders, granulates or pellets that contain or release respirable NOAAs, or other respirable particles either in unbound form, or in bound but not covered or covered form.