Cotton dust (raw)

Synonyms & Trade Names

Raw cotton dust

Physical Description

Colorless, odorless solid

Incompatibilities & Reactivities

Strong oxidizers

Symptoms

Byssinosis: chest tightness, cough, wheezing, dyspnea (breathing difficulty); decreased forced expiratory volume; bronchitis; malaise (vague feeling of discomfort); fever, chills, upper resp symptoms after initial exposure

Respirator Recommendations

(See Appendix E)

NIOSH

Up to 1 mg/m³:
(APF = 5) Any quarter-mask respirator.
Click here for information on selection of N, R, or P filters.

Up to 2 mg/m³:
(APF = 10) Any particulate respirator equipped with an N95, R95, or P95 filter (including N95, R95, and P95 filtering facepieces) except quarter-mask respirators. The following filters may also be used: N99, R99, P99, N100, R100, P100.
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(APF = 10) Any supplied-air respirator

Up to 5 mg/m³:
(APF = 25) Any supplied-air respirator operated in a continuous-flow mode
(APF = 25) Any powered, air-purifying respirator with a high-efficiency particulate filter.

Up to 10 mg/m³:
(APF = 50) Any air-purifying, full-facepiece respirator with an N100, R100, or P100 filter.
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(APF = 50) Any supplied-air respirator that has a tight-fitting facepiece and is operated in a continuous-flow mode
(APF = 50) Any powered, air-purifying respirator with a tight-fitting facepiece and a high-efficiency particulate filter
(APF = 50) Any self-contained breathing apparatus with a full facepiece
(APF = 50) Any supplied-air respirator with a full facepiece

Up to 100 mg/m³:
(APF = 1000) Any supplied-air respirator operated in a pressure-demand or other positive-pressure mode

Emergency or planned entry into unknown concentrations or IDLH conditions:
(APF = 10,000) Any self-contained breathing apparatus that has a full facepiece and is operated in a pressure-demand or other positive-pressure mode
(APF = 10,000) Any supplied-air respirator that has a full facepiece and is operated in a pressure-demand or other positive-pressure mode in combination with an auxiliary self-contained positive-pressure breathing apparatus

Escape:
(APF = 50) Any air-purifying, full-facepiece respirator with an N100, R100, or P100 filter.
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Any appropriate escape-type, self-contained breathing apparatus

Important additional information about respirator selection