# Meteorological conditions hardly influence measurement strategy and measured respirable dust and quartz concentrations in the industrial minerals sector

## TL;DR

The study finds that weather conditions have a small effect on dust and quartz concentrations in industrial settings, but not on measurement strategies.

## Contribution

The study provides empirical evidence on how meteorological factors influence respirable dust and quartz concentrations in industrial minerals.

## Key findings

- Meteorological conditions on measurement and non-measurement days were similar.
- A 10 °C temperature increase is estimated to raise dust and quartz concentrations by 2.3% and 5.9%, respectively.
- Precipitation and wind speed are estimated to reduce concentrations, with stronger effects on quartz.

## Abstract

Respirable dust and quartz are important occupational hazards, yet the effects of meteorological conditions on these concentrations remain poorly understood and predominantly theoretical.

Using respirable dust and quartz data from the Industrial Minerals Association Europe Dust Monitoring Programme (IMA-DMP) and outdoor meteorological data from the ERA5-LAND hourly land data, we aimed first to determine whether meteorological conditions had an impact on the sampling strategy for these exposures and, second, to describe the association between outdoor meteorological conditions and respirable dust and quartz concentrations.

We linked the exposure data for 153 sites across Europe and outdoor meteorological data by date and IMA site location. We used descriptive statistics to compare the meteorological conditions (temperature, precipitation, and wind speed) on measurement and non-measurement days. A linear mixed-effects model was used to investigate the relationship between meteorological variables and respirable dust and quartz concentrations. The model includes adjustments for period-specific time trends, minerals produced, job site, and job function.

Meteorological conditions on measurement and non-measurement days were similar. We estimate a 2.3% and 5.9% increase in dust and quartz concentrations for every 10 °C increase in temperature. A 10-fold increase in precipitation is estimated to reduce dust and quartz concentrations by −2.6% and −3.1%, respectively. A 10-fold increase in wind speed is estimated to reduce quartz concentrations by −9.0%, and this association was not statistically significant for dust. Temperature had the strongest effect on personal concentrations, followed by wind speed. Associations were generally stronger for respirable quartz than respirable dust.

Within the IMA-DMP, meteorological conditions did not affect the measurement strategy for dust and quartz and had a small effect on concentrations measured at 153 sites across Europe. Thus, non-random, biased sampling schemes would result in a slight (<10%) overestimation or underestimation of long-term respirable dust and quartz concentration depending on the meteorological conditions, justifying the collection of meteorological data during sampling.