You want to determine the amount of crystalline silica in a sample...
Regulatory context
Under the new regulation that came into force in January 2021, manufacturers, particularly in the construction sector, must now measure the exposure of their employees to crystalline silica dust.
Indeed, crystalline silica in respirable form has been declared as a carcinogenic substance.
The analysis method on materials or powders (SWeRF, regulatory classification)
SWeRFcs stands for Size Weighted Respirable Fraction of crystalline silica.
- Determination of particle size distribution (laser diffraction).
- Weighting by the respirable penetration curve (EN 481) → calculation of the respirable silica fraction (SWeRFcs).
FILAB laboratory offers you an analytical method dedicated to the determination of crystalline silica
To meet these needs, FILAB Laboratory proposes an analytical method called “SWERF” allowing to measure the respirable fraction weighted by the size of the crystalline silica present in the sample.
For this, we use several analytical techniques:
Liquid Laser Particle Size Analysis to determine the particle size distribution of the sample. The applicable reference document for this analysis is ISO 13320:2020.
Helium Pycnometry to measure the real density.
X-Ray Diffraction between 10 and 90° to determine the crystallographic nature of the phases present and a dosed addition of Quartz.
Our other analysis services
Quantitative analysIs of crystalline silica in materials (XRD, FTIR)
Support réglementaire pour la classification CLP, les dossiers REACH et la conformité à la directive cancérogènes.
Respirable fraction measurements (SWeRFcs) for powder/mineral manufacturers.
Études R&D : optimisation des procédés pour réduire la poussière respirable
Why perform a crystalline silica analysis using the SWeRF method?
It is a widely used indicator for:
- Assessing the actual hazard of materials containing silica.
- Determining whether a product should be classified as carcinogenic under the CLP regulation.
- Helping manufacturers document their REACH dossiers and manage their regulatory obligations.
FAQ
The SWeRF (Size Weighted Respirable Fraction) method makes it possible to estimate the fraction of particles of a material that are respirable, i.e. capable of reaching the pulmonary alveoli.
SWeRFcs is the application of the SWeRF method specifically to crystalline silica (quartz, cristobalite, tridymite). It indicates the proportion of crystalline silica that is actually respirable and therefore relevant for health risk assessment.
Because respirable crystalline silica is classified as a 1A carcinogen at European level, the SWeRF method makes it possible to assess the proportion of crystalline silica that can actually penetrate the lungs and thus determine whether a product should be classified as hazardous according to the CLP regulation and REACH obligations.
Construction materials (cements, concretes, mortars).
Industrial minerals (sands, fillers, mineral fillers).
Metallurgy, foundry, glassmaking, ceramics.
Chemistry and production of technical powders.
- Compliance with REACH and CLP regulatory requirements.
- Securing safety data sheets (SDS).
- Objective risk assessment for operators.
- Promoting product value by proving their relative safety.