Concentration in air

Concentrations in air as low as IO7 g/ms can cause lung congestion, skin damage, or eye damage. Exposure to osmium tetroxide should not exceed 0.0016 mg/ms (8-hour time weighted average - 40-hour work week). 

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set a ceiling level for iodine of 0.1 ppm in air. The American Conference of Government and Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) estabUshed 0.1 ppm as the TLV (TWA) for iodine. The maximum allowable concentration in air (MAK value) is also 0.1 ppm (104—106). 

The lowest concentration in air that caused death in four hours LC q unless otherwise noted. Severe unless otherwise noted. 

Toxicological Information. The toxicity of the higher olefins is considered to be virtually the same as that of the homologous paraffin compounds. Based on this analogy, the suggested maximum allowable concentration in air is 500 ppm. Animal toxicity studies for hexene, octene, decene, and dodecene have shown Httle or no toxic effect except under severe inhalation conditions. The inhalation LD q for 1-hexene is 33,400 ppm for these olefins both LD q (oral) and LD q (dermal) are >10 g/kg. 

Methyl bromide is nonflammable over a wide range of concentrations in air at atmospheric pressure and offers practically no fire hazard. With an intense source of ignition, flame propagation within a narrow range from 13.5 to 14.5% by volume has been reported. The material has no flash point. Thermal decomposition in a glass vessel begins somewhat above 400°C. 

The energy required to initiate an explosion and the maximum explosive pressure developed by a number of polyester—epoxy powder coatings has been studied in some detail (89). The variables studied included composition, level and type of pigmentation, particle size, and concentration in air. The lowest MEG for unfilled and unpigmented powders was 33—35 g/m. ... 

Detection. Many people can detect hydrogen cyanide by odor or taste sensation at the 1 ppm concentration in air, most at 5 ppm, but HCN does not have an offensive odor and a few people cannot smell it even at toxic levels. Anyone planning to work with hydrogen cyanide should be checked with a sniff test employing a known safe concentration. This test should be given periodically. Several chemical detection and warning methods can be employed. The most rehable are modem, electronic monitors based on electrolytes that react with hydrogen cyanide. 

Mechanistic Models. A general theory of the mechanism for the complete heterogeneous catalytic oxidation of low molecular weight vapors at trace concentrations in air does not exist. As with many catalytic reactions, however, certain observations have led to a general hypothesis (17). 

Fast catalytic reac tions that must be quenched rapidly are done in contac t with wire screens or thin layers of fine granules. Ammonia in a 10% concentration in air is oxidized by flowthrough a fine gauze catalyst made of 2 to 10% Rh in Pt, 10 to 30 layers, 0.075-mm (0.0030-in) diameter wire. Contact time is 0.0003 s at 750°C (1,382°F) and 7 atm (103 psi) followed by rapid quenching. Methanol is oxidized to formaldehyde in a thin layer of finely divided silver or a multilayer screen, with a contact time of 0.01 s at 450 to 600°C (842 to 1,112°F). 

TLV means threshold limit value (estabhshed by the American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists, or ACGIH). TLV-C is the concentration in air that should not be exceeded during any pari of the working exposure. 

Definition of Dust E losion A dust explosion is the rapid combustion of a dust cloud. In a confined or nearly confined space, the explosion is characterized by relatively rapid development of pressure with a flame propagation and the evolution of large quantities of heat and reaction products. The required oxygen for this combustion is mostly supphed oy the combustion air. The condition necessaiy for a dust explosion is a simultaneous presence of a dust cloud of proper concentration in air that will support combustion and a suitable ignition source. 

The equilibrium vapor pressure above a confined liquid depends only on temperature. The fraction of the total pressure exerted by vapor pressure determines the composition of the vapor-air mixture. Thus when the total pressure is reduced, for example at high elevations or in vacuum tmcks, the vapor concentration in air increases. Since flash points are reported at a... 

When a liquid is dispersed into droplets the surface area is increased, which enhances the rates of heat and mass transfer. For a particular liquid dispersed at constant concentration in air the MIE varies with approximately the cube of surface average droplet diameter, hence the MIE decreases by a factor of about 8 when the surface average diameter D is halved (A-5-1.4.4). Ease of ignition is greatly enhanced for finely divided mists with D less than about 20 /rm, whose MIE approaches that of the vapor. Below 10 /rm a high flash point liquid mist (tetrahydronaphthalene) was found to behave like vapor while above about 40/rm the droplets tended to burn individually [ 142]. Since liquid mists must partially evaporate and mix with air before they ignite, the ease with which a liquid evaporates also affects MIE (Eigure 5-1.4.4). 

Moehida, L, Kawano, S., Hironaka, M., Yatsunami, S., Korai, Y., Matsumura, Y. and Yoshikawa, M., Reduction of NO at very low concentration in air with NHj at room temperature over a series of calcined pitch-based active carbon fibers, Chem. Lett., 1995, (5), 385 386. 

Table 5.3 Typical effects of sulphur dioxide concentrations in air...

Adsorption — An important physico-chemical phenomenon used in treatment of hazardous wastes or in predicting the behavior of hazardous materials in natural systems is adsorption. Adsorption is the concentration or accumulation of substances at a surface or interface between media. Hazardous materials are often removed from water or air by adsorption onto activated carbon. Adsorption of organic hazardous materials onto soils or sediments is an important factor affecting their mobility in the environment. Adsorption may be predicted by use of a number of equations most commonly relating the concentration of a chemical at the surface or interface to the concentration in air or in solution, at equilibrium. These equations may be solved graphically using laboratory data to plot "isotherms." The most common application of adsorption is for the removal of organic compounds from water by activated carbon. 

Health Elazards - Personal Protective Equipment Self-contained breathing apparatus protective clothing if exposed to liquid. Symptoms Following Etqjosure If concentration of gas in hi enough, may cause asphyxiation. No detectable systemic effects, even at 5 % concentration in air. Treatment for Exposure Remove victim to open air. If the is overcome by gas, qjply artificial resuscitation. Toxicity by Inhalation (Threshold Limit Value) Data not available Short-Term Inhalation Limits Data not available Toxicity by Ingestion Not pertinent Late Toxicity None Vapor (Gas) Irritant Characteristics Vapors are nonirritating to the eyes and throat. Liquid or Solid Irritant Characteristics No appreciable hazard. Practically harmless to the skin because it is very volatile and evaporates quickly. May cause some frostbite. Odor Threshold Data not available. 

Health Hazards Information - Recommended Personal Protective Equipment Sel f-contained breathing apparatus for high concentrations of gas Symptoms Following Exposure Concentrations in air greater than 10% cause dizziness in a few minutes. 1 % concentrations give the same symptom in 10 min. High... 

However, the dry deposition rate for noble gases, tritium, carbon-14, and nonelemental radioiodine is so slow that this depletion mechanism is negligible within 50 miles of the release point. Elemental o radioiodine and other particulates are readily deposited. This transfer can be quantified as a transfer velocity (where concentration transfer velocity = deposition rate). The transfer velocity is proportional to windspeed and, as a consequence, the rate of depositirm is independent of windspeed since concentration in air is inversely proportional to windspeed. 

Natural gas with H2S or other sulfur compounds present is called sour gas, while gas with only CO2 is called sweet. Both H2S and CO2 are undesirable, as they cause corrosion and reduce the heating value and thus the sales value of the gas. In addition, H2S may be lethal in very small quantities. Table 7-1 shows physiological effects of H2S concentrations in air. 

From Eq. (4-la) the stoichiometric concentration of methane in oxygen is 1 part in 3 = 33.3 mole percent methane. From Eq. (4-lb) the approximate stoichiometric concentration of methane in air is 1 part in 3 -E (158/21) = 9.5 mole percent methane. Tims, a mixtnre of 15 mole percent methane in oxygen has a stoichiometric ratio (p = 15/33.3 = 0.45 (lean), while the same methane concentration in air has a stoichiometric ratio (p = 15/9.5 = 1.58 (rich). 

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