Personal air monitors

A somewhat new and burgeoning field is the development of personal air monitors that permit the recording of an individual s direct and total... 

Ambient air and personal air monitoring was conducted at a plastics factory where MBOCA was used in the production of urethane. The results obtained from 10 ambient air samples (6 in the general work area 4 in the area where MBOCA was melted) indicated that MBOCA was not present in the general area above the level of detection (0.015 pg/filter), and was present in the air near the MBOCA melting pot at levels up to 92 pg/m. Rersonal air monitoring indicated that only those employed as mixers and molders were exposed to detectable levels of MBOCA, ranging from 0.06 to 0.70 og/m. Wipe samples of surfaces that workers were most likely to be exposed to contained... 

Lutz, G. A. Literature Review of Personal Air Monitors for Potential Use in Ambient Air Monitoring of Organic Compounds, EPA-600/482-048, NTIS order no. PB82-228917 (1982)... 

The use of air monitoring data along with the appropriate statistical analysis can be useful in determining if the work is being performed within controls. Personal air monitoring for non-radiological chemical exposures is required by one DOE rule,... 

Dominican and African American (Washington Heights, Central Harlem, and South Bronx) (Perera et al., 2012) 6-7 years CBCL High PAH exposure, defined as greater than the median exposure from personal air monitoring, or detectable and higher maternal and cord adducts, was associated with symptoms of Anxious/ Depressed and Attention Problems (P < 0.05)... 

Nickel carbonyl should be used in totally enclosed systems or under good local exhaust. Plants and laboratories where nickel carbonyl is used should make use of air-monitoring devices, alarms should be present in case of accidental leakage, and appropriate personal respiratory protective devices should be readily available for emergency uses. Monitoring of urinary nickel levels is useful to help determine the severity of exposure and identify appropriate treatment measures. Some large-scale users of nickel carbonyl maintain a supply of sodium diethyldithiocarbamate, or Antabuse, a therapeutic agent, on hand for use in case of overexposure. 

Unless established monitoring practices are conducted by plant personnel or the OSHA compliance officer, the results are of limited value in determining compliance with a standard, and what is more important, protecting the worker s health. The conduct of air monitoring by untrained, or poorly trained, persons relegates the program to a "numbers game" which serves no useful purpose. 

The contractor at Site H had established area and personnel sampling consistent with HAZWOPER requirements. A photo ionization detector (PID) and a real-time aerosol monitor (RAM) were used on a daily basis to screen for potentially hazardous levels of contaminants. On a weekly basis, personal air samples were collected and submitted for laboratory analysis. PPE requirements, however, were often not based on this data because the oversight agency had established inflexible minimum PPE requirements. The audit team found many of the PPE requirements on Site H to be excessive in light of site monitoring data and hazard determinations. 

Table 13.16 sets out the major waste disposal methods, and potential hazards from toxic waste deposition are indicated in Table 13.17. The range of precautions required at land tips depends upon the risk, e.g. the nature and degree of contamination and the work to be undertaken. It will, however, encompass personal protective equipment a high standard of personal hygiene enclosure, possibly pressurization, and regular cleaning of vehicle cabs vehicle washing facilities site security, and control of designated dirty areas. Air monitoring and medical surveillance may be required.

It will, however, encompass personal protective equipment a high standard of personal hygiene enclosure, possibly pressurization and regular cleaning of vehicle cabs vehicle washing facilities site security, and control of designated dirty areas. Air monitoring and medical surveillance may be required. 

Michael LC, Pellizzari ED, Perritt RL, et al. 1990. Comparison of indoor, backyard, and centralized air monitoring strategies for assessing personal exposure to volatile organic compounds. Environmental Science and Technology 24 996-1003. 

Of course, on considering personal exposure monitoring by any method, it is helpful to have a point or frame of reference. In this case, that point of reference is the established pump and tube method. It features a mechanical pump whose function is to draw a constant, measured flow of an air-vapor mixture through a tube, normally consisting of two sections, where the vapors are selectively adsorbed. 

Gruber, A.H. Goldstein, A.G. LaConti, A.B. "A New Family of Miniaturized Self-Contained CO Dosimeters and Direct Reading Detectors", Paper Presented at U.S. Environmental Agency Symposium on Personal Air Pollution Monitors, Chapel Hill, N.C., Jan., 1979... 

Non-occupational exposure to diazinon for residents of two U.S. cities (Jacksonville, Florida, and Springfield, Massachusetts) were studied over three seasons summer 1986, spring 1987, and winter 1988 (Whitmore et al. 1994). The study focused primarily on inhalation exposures with primary environmental monitoring consisting of 24-hour indoor air, personal air, and outdoor air. For the population of Jacksonville, Florida, the mean diazinon concentration ranges were 85.7 420.7 ng/m3 for indoor air,... 

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