in the reported experiments, a weave room with approximately 1000 operating looms was selected for a study of the contribution of dissolved solids from air-washer water and atomizer water to cotton dust levels. in a plant trial, air-washer water solids were found to contribute less than 1 $mu$ g/m**3 for each of 100 mg/l. of dissolved solids; this was determined by the use of licl added to the air-washer as a tracer. however, atomizer-water solids contributed 360 $mu$ g/m**3 to cotton dust levels in the present study. this determination was made by the comparison of cotton dust concentrations measured during atomization of steam condensate. the mg content of cotton dust samples taken in this weave room was far in excess of the natural abundance level found in samples form areas of the mill not requiring atomization. the mg concentration of the well water used for atomizaion was found to be a suitable tracer for the contribution of dissolved solids to the measured cotton dust concentrations. 5 refs