Sand Blasting Air Emissions: Risks, Regulations & Mitigation

From personal home improvement projects to industrial-scale shipbuilding and maintenance, sand blasting is a quick, effective way to remove paint or rust from surfaces. But while the process may leave a surface spotless, it can also pollute the air you breathe.

Identification

• Sand blasters pummel surfaces with abrasive granules that scour away paint or rust. Many sand blasters use silica sand, a particularly problematic compound that can pollute air when used in large quantities.

Health Risks

• Many compounds used by sand blasters to clean surfaces contain silica. Silica is a carcinogen that can lead to long-term fatal lung disease. Large-scale sand blasting operations can pollute the air with massive quantities of silica.

Dispersion

• Industrial sand blasting is not illegal. But when wind and weather intervene, it can create health risks for entire communities when silica dust is dispersed beyond the fence line of a construction site.