Case Study: Dust in Work Environment

Dust is a collection of small particles that are found in the air and can settle on various surfaces. Dust is made up of a variety of materials, including dirt, sand, and organic matter such as skin cells and pollen. Dust in a work environment can accumulate on furniture, floors, and other surfaces.  To reduce the amount of dust in the work environment, it is important to regularly clean surfaces, use air purifiers, and vacuum or sweep floors and carpets.

THE PROBLEM:

Green-colored dust had accumulated on the surface of several desks in an office space. The employees were concerned about possible health issues and contacted their EHS (Environmental, Health, and Safety) manager. The company’s EHS manager reached out to MVA Scientific Consultants and asked us to characterize the dust so the company can take steps to mitigate it.

THE ANALYSIS:

The dust was initially examined and imaged using a polarized light microscope (PLM). Images revealed that the granular, gritty dust was comprised of green, blue-green, brown, tan, and white aggregated materials (Figure 1).  The brown colored material was suspected to be rust (Figure 2), and further analysis was required for confirmation.  The dust was also analyzed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with an energy dispersive x-ray detector (EDS). It confirmed that it was rust, and the blue-green material was copper-rich and was probably the result of copper corrosion.

THE OUTCOME: 

MVA Scientific Consultants’ analyses indicated the dust was mainly chlorine-induced copper corrosion debris. This suggested that the source of the dust was corroded copper pipes used as a supply line in the building’s HVAC system. The company was able to locate and replace the corroded copper pipes.

If your company is dealing with unknown dust or debris issue and needs help locating the source, please reach out to us at info@mvainc.com or 770-662-8509.