Comparison of the determination and evaluation of quartz exposure and exposure levels at workplaces across Europe

There is a need for a general comparison of studies of quartz exposure in Europe. The study questions whether the exposure data sourced from a number of countries for use in epidemiological studies are in fact directly comparable. The publication addresses this question with reference to a comparison of exposure data obtained in Austria, Switzerland, Germany and Finland. Part 1 of the publication first describes the measurement convention, sampling and analytics employed during quantification of quartz exposure. The correlation was found to be close in this case. Significant differences are however observed between measurement strategies. These are described and discussed in Part 2 of the publication with reference to the exposure data from certain working areas.