Silica dust as an additive in concrete with proven impact on human health

Abstract

Concrete is an extremely important factor for shaping today’s infrastructure. However, it must be replaced or repaired over time. The various methods used to remove, repair or change existing concrete structures into new ones can globally release large amounts of dust into the air. Taking into account the fact that the crystalline silica in the form of quartz is the main component of silica fume added to concrete, dust in the air produced during construction, maintenance or renovation works may have properties that will increase not only the risk of morbidity of workers (e.g., silicosis), but also the risk of excessive contamination – by crystalline silica – of air and soils around areas where such work is carried out. This paper presents the properties of silica, which determine its presence and interactions in the environment. It has been shown that so far, the health exposure to silica was studied mainly in groups of miners. Most likely, the widespread use of silica in the construction industry and, above all, in the construction and renovation of the dynamically developing network of roads and motorways results in an increase in the amount of silica in fine particles of particulate matter. Therefore, it seems important to undertake new research to determine the amount of silica in the environment (mainly in fine particulate matter) in various areas and to link these data with industrial and construction activity in these areas.