Air contains hazardous substances in a variety of forms: as aerosols, gases or vapours. What are the effects of inhaled contaminants on our organism and how can you protect yourself against them? Find out more in our training presentation. More information can be found in the World of Respiratory Protection: https://www.draeger.com/respiratory-protection

1. Hazardous Substances
May 2015

2. Hazardous substances
Hazardous Substances | Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA | May 20152 | 10
Which strains and pollutants is the lung subject to while working?
?
How do possible strains and pollutants affect us?
?

3. Hazardous substances
What are potential dangers?
 Aerosols are extremely fine airborne particles as solid
or liquid particles such as dust, fume, mist.
Aerosol is the collective term for dispersed solid
and liquid particles in gases (suspended matter).
 Dust is the collective term for extremely fine solid
particles in gases, especially in the air, that result
from mechanical processes or have become part
of the air because they were raised
 Mist consists of fine drops of liquid (especially water
drops) in the air
 Fumes are gaseous residues of combustion. Apart from
gases and vapors smoke additionally contains solid
matter in a very fine shape (often colloidal) such as soot,
metal oxide particles or aerosols like drops of oil
Hazardous Substances | Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA | May 20153 | 10
Aerosols
Dust
solid particles,
eg.g. wood, flour,
soot
Mist
liquid aerosols
Fumes
aerosols generated
by combustion, eg.g
nickel monoxide

4. Hazardous substances
What are potential dangers?
 Gases and vapors are gaseous substances
 All of them represent a potential risk for human breathing!
Hazardous Substances | Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA | May 20154 | 10
Gases and vapors
Gas
gaseous
substances,
e.g. suplhur dioxide
Vapor
gaseous, but
at 20° C, 1 bar,
liquid or solid

5. Hazardous substances
Which organs are affected by hazardous substances?
Hazardous substances may affect the human organs in many ways.
Certain types of hazardous substances affect different organs.
Also solid dust does not only affect
the respiratory organs but if it
enters the blood via the alveoli it
might cause severe damage in the
whole organism as do gases and
vapors.
Hazardous Substances | Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA | May 20155 | 10
Mist
Fumes
Dust
Vapor
Gas

6. Hazardous substances
What is the average particle size?
• Particles are differentiated
by size.
• Depending on their origin,
the particle size varies
extremely and thus, their
danger and the possible
protective measures.
• Particles below 5 m are
called fine dust.
• Fine dust can be inhaled by
human beings and can
reach the lungs. Therefore,
this range is particularly
relevant for respiratory
protection.
In order to understand the proportions in size of the different particles you see objects below the scale that
correspond to these dimensions. For example, the size of a virus compared with a granule is approximately
the size of a pea compared with a skyscraper.
Coarse sand
Rain
Coarse industrial dust
Coal dust
Spores, pollen
Cement dust
Metallurgical dust & fumes
Germs, bacteria
Insecticide dusts
Paint spray & mist
Oil mist
Tobacco smoke
Viruses
Large molecules
0,001 0,01 0,1 1 5 10 100
100
(1 mm)
10,000 [µm]
(1 cm)
Human hair
Hazardous Substances | Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA | May 20156 | 10
Coarse dust (Ø > 5 µm)Fine dust (Ø < 5 µm)

7. Hazardous substances
How do particles get into the body?
• Depending on their size, particles
find their way into the body via the
respiration.
• All kinds of dust that are inhaled are a
potential risk ─ the most dangerous
particles are those of a critical size
that are inhaled but not exhaled
again.
• E.g. soot, asbestos, quartz, oil mist
are not exhaled even if their diameter
is very small.
• The bigger the particle, the lower the
probability that it is inhaled.
Diameter
Fine dust Coarse dust
Probability
Fine dust
Total amount
of dust
1
0
Alveolar dust
Tranchea bronchial dust
Exhaled dust
Dust of the larynx
Non inhaled particles of dust
Hazardous Substances | Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA | May 20157 | 10

8. Hazardous substances
What are typical occupational diseases?
Especially the lung and other organs that enable human respiration can be damaged.
Typical occupational diseases that can be avoided by proper respiratory protective measures are:
Respiratory diseases
Silicosis
Asbestosis
Occupational asthma
Allergies
Cancer
Hazardous Substances | Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA | May 20158 | 10

9. Hazardous substances
Important information
The content provided on these web sites is intended for the purpose of training and instructional
purposes only. It is absolutely necessary to understand and strictly observe the corresponding
operating instructions when using any of the products shown or mentioned on the pages of this
web site. In particular, the content of these web sites shall in no way be used in place of or as a
supplement for these operating instructions.
The employees’ self-information does not release the employer from observing the required
safety instructions. This information platform does not serve as an exemption from having to
observe national codes of practice and laws, such as the BGR 190 in Germany.
The information and material for training courses provided on this website are protected by copyright
for Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA. They may be used for your own training purposes by correctly and
completely indicating the source and referring to the copyright of Dräger Safety. The use for
commercial training purposes is not permitted.
Hazardous Substances | Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA | May 20159 | 10

10. Thank you for
your attention.