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Can sanded grout exposure cause some serious effects?

This Premium Q&A, reviewed and published, features a real conversation between an iCliniq user and a physician.

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

The query is about sanded grout exposure. I am quite concerned about my girlfriend’s exposure to silica dust. We were doing a home renovation. I left for about 1.5 hours while she was removing tile in a kitchen. When I had come back I saw she was removing grout with a grinder and no dust mask. The room was filled with dust in the air. The room is about 10x9 with 12” tiles. This makes for a total cut distance of 1100” with the grinder. Assuming a 1/8” cut with a depth of 3/8” and this works out to 51.56 cubic inches of dust released into the air. Assuming an average of 25 % silica content in the grout and weight of 1.36 oz per cu inch for the dust, that is about 17.50 oz of silica dust releases into the air. The room was open to adjacent rooms so I estimated about 118.42 cu yard space, which would work out to 0.33696 lb/ft^3 She was doing this for about an hour and a half so I estimate about 1.32 cu yard was inhaled. From what I have read this is really high-level exposure. Is my math wrong? Did I miss something? I am making her go to the doctor and we will monitor her health closely. I am really concerned this could lead to serious problems in the near future.
Answered by Dr. Prabhu Prasad N C

Education:

MD Pulmonary medicine DNB(Respiratory medicine)Fellowship in pulm/crit care(CMC,Vellore)

Professional Bio:

Dr. Prabhu Prasad N. C is a Consultant Pulmonologist with a decade of wide-ranging experience in Pulmonology. He has expertise in treating critically ill patients with Acute and Chronic Respiratory Failure, including patients with Non-Invasive Ventilation and Patients with Diffuse Parenchymal Lung Disease, with extensive years of clinical experience. He is well-experienced in Interventional bronchoscopic and Thoracoscopic procedures and real-time ultrasound-guided pleural interventions. He specializes in Interventional Pulmonology, Respiratory Critical care, Respiratory Sleep Disorders, and Respiratory Allergy.

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Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Looking at the history, it is quite a high-level exposure and it can cause some kind of pneumonitis feature called hypersensitivity pneumonitis or toxic dust syndrome. If she develops symptoms of a cough, breathlessness, better to get a computed tomography (CT) thorax to see her lungs and if possible lung function tests also. Kindly get back if you need more information.

Medically reviewed by Dr. K. Shobana
Published At February 16, 2019
Reviewed At July 8, 2025

Education:

MD Pulmonary medicine DNB(Respiratory medicine)Fellowship in pulm/crit care(CMC,Vellore)

Professional Bio:

Dr. Prabhu Prasad N. C is a Consultant Pulmonologist with a decade of wide-ranging experience in Pulmonology. He has expertise in treating critically ill patients with Acute and Chronic Respiratory Failure, including patients with Non-Invasive Ventilation and Patients with Diffuse Parenchymal Lung Disease, with extensive years of clinical experience. He is well-experienced in Interventional bronchoscopic and Thoracoscopic procedures and real-time ultrasound-guided pleural interventions. He specializes in Interventional Pulmonology, Respiratory Critical care, Respiratory Sleep Disorders, and Respiratory Allergy.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

Consult other doctors in the same speciality

Education:

BDS

Professional Bio:

Dr. K. Shobana is a Dental Surgeon specializing in oral health and dental care. She is skilled in preventive dentistry and provides oral hygiene education. She can do restorative treatments such as fillings and crowns. She can handle periodontal problems such as gum diseases and periodontitis. She can do root canal treatment.

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Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Prabhu Prasad N C
Dr. Prabhu Prasad N C

Pulmonology (Asthma Doctors)

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Education:

MD Pulmonary medicine DNB(Respiratory medicine)Fellowship in pulm/crit care(CMC,Vellore)

Professional Bio:

Dr. Prabhu Prasad N. C is a Consultant Pulmonologist with a decade of wide-ranging experience in Pulmonology. He has expertise in treating critically ill patients with Acute and Chronic Respiratory Failure, including patients with Non-Invasive Ventilation and Patients with Diffuse Parenchymal Lung Disease, with extensive years of clinical experience. He is well-experienced in Interventional bronchoscopic and Thoracoscopic procedures and real-time ultrasound-guided pleural interventions. He specializes in Interventional Pulmonology, Respiratory Critical care, Respiratory Sleep Disorders, and Respiratory Allergy.

This doctor is not available for online consultations on the platform anymore.

Consult other doctors in the same speciality
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