Raman spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction responses when measuring health‐related micrometre and nanometre particle size fractions of crystalline quartz and the measurement of quartz in dust samples from the cutting and polishing of natural and artificial stones

Around 560 000 workers in Great Britain are potentially exposed to respirable crystalline silica (RCS), which can cause disabling diseases, such as silicosis and lung cancer. These experiments assessed the performance of a new Raman spectroscopy method for measuring RCS, samples pure quartz powder with different median aerodynamic particle diameters stone dusts from variety natural artificial stones. The relationship between response size was characterised by subfractions standard A9950 collected using Sioutas impactor. Bulk standards Quin B that provided highest were also measured. Health-related thoracic fractions, environmental monitoring fractions PM10, PM2.5, PM1 PM0.5, during powered cutting polishing sandstone diorite (granite), engineered sintered All results compared those X-ray diffraction (XRD), used reference technique. closely followed predicted crystallinity RCS diameters. obtained slightly higher percentages than XRD below 1 μm. highly correlated thoracic, impactor fractions. coefficients determination 0.98 0.95. slope correlation 1.11 fraction 1.07 fraction. is promising alternative measurement much lower limit detection 0.21 μg μg.