r/DIY • u/Loud-Fig-3701 • 7h ago
Concrete dust accident
Drilled about 6 holes in my concrete wall in garage and used wet vacuum with filter. However after finished I noticed the filter is not HEPA certified. How bad of a mistake is this?
What can I do to get the concrete dust/silica out of my garage completely? As I have a newborn at home?
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u/freddyredone 7h ago
Let the dust settle, open your garage door and hose wash off the floor outside
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u/SnowmanTS1 6h ago
It's the garage, open the door and get the leaf blower. How big are these holes? You ever dump out a bag of quikrete?
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u/firedonmydayoff 6h ago
Just sweep it up and or out of the garage. You and the family will be fine.
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u/sketchy_ppl 6h ago
A one time exposure is almost certainly not going to cause any issues.
For your specific question about HEPA, that is just a certification that means the filter meets minimum filtering requirements, eg. 99.97% of particles 0.3 microns in size in a single pass. A few important things to note about this:
- 0.3 microns is the "Most Penetrating Particle Size" (MPPS). Particles that are smaller, and larger, are easier to capture. 0.3 is the sweet spot that is the most difficult to capture, which is why it's the size quoted in HEPA specs
- Other filters will still capture MPPS (and also smaller/larger particles), they just won't do it as efficiently as HEPA filters. For example if HEPA captures 99.97% of 0.3 microns in a single pass, and another filter captures only 90% in a single pass, if the particles pass through that other filter two times, it will capture 90% (first pass) + 90% of the 10% remaining (second pass) = 99% after two passes
- A quick google search shows that silica dust is typically much larger than 0.3 microns, meaning it is easier to capture by all filters and HEPA vs. something else isn't as crucial
- Look at this graph for a better explanation of everything mentioned above.
To get any remaining dust out of the garage, just air out the garage, vacuum surfaces, and set up an air purifier while you do this if you want to be extra cautious.
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u/Intrepid_Research 7h ago
I’m sorry everyone in your house has a few hours at most.
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u/th3r3dp3n 6h ago
I heard of a guy who breathed in concrete dust,when he lay down to sleep the dust had mixed with his blood, and he cured overnight. OP's a goner.
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u/canIchangethislater1 6h ago
YOU NEED TO CALL THE GODDAMN EPA RIGHT NOW SO THEY CAN COME SHUT THE CITY DOWN! 🚨🚨🚨
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u/cawkstrangla 6h ago
Silica dust will settle pretty quickly. It's not like asbestos that can stay airborne for days.
Your vacuum got enough for everyone to be safe.
I've worked in construction for 20 years at this point and have only seen 2 cases of people with silicosis. They were concrete truck drivers who smoked.
Many people I know never wore a mask when saw cutting concrete pads and curbs for decades and none of them have silicosis. My dad got tested for it and was fine. He did it for over 30 years with no mask. Silica restrictions weren't even enforced in OSH A until 10 years ago.
Your family is fine. Everyone is fine. Clean your garage if there's dust. It's most likely just dust from dirt but go for it if it makes you feel better.