Wood-dust is a complex mixture generated when timber is processed, such as when it is chipped,sawed,turned,drilled or sanded.
Two types of wood
- hardwood
- it's generally denser than softwood
- thiner dust after processing(5 micron particles)
- more harmful to nasal mucose
- softwood
- density varies greatly
- simpler molecular composition
- less thin dust after processing
The majority of wood dust mass was reported to be contributed by particules larger than 10 micron.
more about wood
Wood-dust composition
studies using different organic solvents extracts of some hardwood dust
- MAIN COMPONENTS
- lignin
- cellulose
- hemicellulose:shorter chain than cellulose
branched polymer unlike cellulose
- SUBSTRATES EXTRACTED WITH NON-POLAR ORGANIC SOLVENTS
- fatty acids
- resin acids they are in pines in a number of isomeric forms (C19H29COOH)
- waxes: they are plastic,insoluble,idrofobic
- alcohol
- terpenes
- sterols
- steryl esters
- glycerol
- SUBSTANCES EXTRACTED WITH POLAR ORGANIC SOLVENTS
- WATER SOLUBLE SUBSTANCES
- charboidrates
- alkaloids
- proteins
- inorganic materials
- SUBSTANCES PRESENT AFTER PROCESSING
- formaldehyd
- clorophenols
- creosote:these products are mixture of many chemicals such as PAH, phenols,cresols,created by high temperature treatment of beech and other woods
- vnyl chloride: (C2H3Cl)
- Cr salts
- As salts
Moisture
it's important for dust composition
(dry wood=less than 15% and generate more total dust)
more about composition and properties
wood dust and human health
- woodworkers usually are exposed to mix dust with different properties
- the dust of:maple,birch,wlnut,willow,elm and fig are the most harmful (usually the hardwood dust is more implicated in cancer development)
- an occupational history of furniture making and other woodworking (such as an history of nasal diseases) are suspected of being risk factors for the development of several patologies like sinusitis and cancer
more about health risk
