Workplace air monitoring

A. Berlin, R. H. Brown, and K. J. Saunders, eds.. Diffusive Sampling An Alternative Approach to Workplace Air Monitoring Royal Society of Chemistry, London, 1987. 

Ikeda M, Koizumi A, Kashara M. 1987. Validation of passive dosimetry through biological monitoring and its application in solvent workplaces. In Berlin A, Brown RH, Saunders KJ, eds. Diffusive Sampling, An Alternative Approach to Workplace Air Monitoring, Proceedings of an International Symposium, Luxembourg, 22-26 September 1986, London, Royal Society of Chemistry. 

Berlin A, Brown RH, and Saunders KJ (eds.) (1987) Diffusive sampling An alternative approach to workplace air monitoring. Proceedings of the International Symposium, Luxembourg, 1986. London Royal Society of Chemistry (includes the NIOSH validation procotol). 

Workplace air monitoring falls under the auspices of state occupational safety and health administrations. In addition to protecting workers j ainst the by-products of manufacturing processes, monitoring also identifies allergens, ventilation problems, and secondhand tobacco smoke. 

Regulatory and advisory bodies publish methods for ambient air analysis sueh as those issued by the British Standards Institute and the US Environment Proteetion Ageney (Tables 10.24 and 10.25, respeetively). Methods for assessment of workplace air are published by the Health and Safety Exeeutive. Some of these are generie methods (Table 10.26) whilst others are eompound speeifie (Table 10.27). Examples of other offieial methods for monitoring workplaee air quality are those published by the British Standards Institute (Table 10.28), and the US National Institute of Oeeupational Safety and Health (Table 10.29). Table 10.30 provides additional guidanee on analytieal teehniques for a seleetion of substanees. 

Table 10.26 HSE generic techniques for monitoring quality of workplace air ...

Air monitoring will be required, e.g., when volatiles are handled in quantity, where use of radioactive isotopes has led to unacceptable workplace contamination, when processing plutonium or other transuranic elements, when handling unsealed sources in hospitals in therapeutic amounts, and in the use of hot cells/reactors and critical facilities. Routine monitoring of skin, notably the hands, may be required. 

Information on occupational exposure to lead is obtained primarily from the National Occupational Exposure Survey (NOES) and industry surveys of workers. While occupational exposure is widespread, environmental monitoring data on levels of exposure in many occupations are not available. OSHA has established a permissible exposure limit (PEL) for lead of 50 pg/m3 for workplace air (OSHA 1991). NIOSH has estimated that more than 1 million American workers were occupationally exposed to inorganic lead in more than 100 occupations (NIOSH 1977a, 1978a). According to NOES, conducted by NIOSH between 1980 and 1983, an estimated 25,169 employees were exposed to tetraethyl lead (not used in gasoline since December 31, 1995) approximately 57,000 employees were exposed to various lead oxides mostly in non-ferrous foundries, lead smelters, and battery plants 3,902 employees were exposed to lead chloride and 576,579 employees were exposed to some other form of lead in the workplace in 1980 (NIOSH 1990). Workers who operate and maintain solid waste incinerators are also exposed to air lead levels as high as 2,500 pg/m3 (Malkin 1992). 

Exposure Levels in Humans. It has been speculated that the 1974 OSHA regulations have reduced workplace air levels of 3,3 -dichlorobenzidine (CPMA 1998). However, it would be important to conduct exposure studies to monitor air levels in the workplace to confirm this premise. The need for more information on the extent of air, water, and soil contamination by industrial plant emissions or waste sites eontaining 3,3 -dichlorobenzidine continues. There is httle information on exposure of children to 3,3 -diehlorobenzidine (or products derived from the compoimd). The compound has a very limited distribution and is not present in consumer goods (other than in insoluble pigmented forms). This information is necessary for assessing the need to conduct health studies on these populations. 

Ambient air monitoring Workplace, ventilation systems Composition monitoring - gas Trace gas and vapor analysis... 

Bjorkholm E, Hultman A, Rudling J. 1990. Evaluation of two dififiisive samplers for monitoring chlorine and chlorine dioxide in workplace air. Appl Occup Environ Hyg 5(11) 767-770. 

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