Diesel Particulate Monitoring
Diesel exhaust particulate matter (DPM) exposure assessment
What Is Diesel Particulate Monitoring?
Diesel particulate monitoring measures worker exposure to the submicron carbon particles and adsorbed organic compounds in diesel engine exhaust. IARC classified diesel exhaust as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1) in 2012, with strong evidence for lung cancer.
Elemental carbon (EC) is the preferred exposure metric. The current WES list has no entry for diesel particulate matter. The WEL list adds a limit of 0.01 mg/m³ (as respirable elemental carbon, TWA-8h) from 1 December 2026. Monitoring helps evaluate ventilation effectiveness and diesel fleet management strategies.
How Is It Done?
Personal sampling via quartz fibre filter in cassette. Analysis for elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) by thermal-optical method (NIOSH 5040).
When You Need This
- +Underground mining operations with diesel equipment
- +Enclosed loading docks and warehouses with diesel forklifts
- +Tunnelling and civil construction with diesel plant
- +Fleet transition planning (diesel to electric)
- +Worker health complaints related to exhaust exposure
Relevant Standards
Common Industries
Related Monitoring
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