Тирса

What sawdust is

Sawdust, also called wood dust, is a by-product or waste product of woodworking operations such as sawing, sanding, milling and routing. It consists of very small chips of wood. As particulates, it is the main component of particleboard. In some manufacturing industries it can be a significant fire hazard and a source of occupational dust exposure.

Composition

The composition of sawdust depends on the material it comes from, such as natural wood, processed wood or wood veneer. Lignin is a macromolecule made of phenolic units and is located in the cell walls of wood. Lignin makes up 20 to 35% of the dry mass of wood. Lignin fills the spaces in the cell wall between cellulose, hemicellulose and pectin components. Odour-active phenyl compounds occur in wood through the degradation of lignin. Some odour impressions of pine wood, including the carpenter's shop-like/sawdust-like one, could not be directly traced to specific substances.

Health

Wood dust is a known human carcinogen. It can cause cancers of the nose, throat and sinuses. In the workplace, the OSHA permissible exposure limit for wood dust is 15 mg/m³ total exposure and 5 mg/m³ respiratory exposure over an 8-hour workday, and NIOSH recommends a limit of 1 mg/m³ over the same period. In 2000-2003, about 3.6 million workers in the EU-25 were occupationally exposed to inhalable wood dust.

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