No abstract

Passive organic vapor monitors are used throughout the world to monitor workplace exposure to a variety of organic vapors. Exxon industrial hygienists were surveyed to determine the current state of government regulations regarding exposure monitoring and the level of acceptance within their own country or region for the use of passive organic vapor monitors for compliance monitoring. The data indicates that, in countries where the regulation of worker exposure to specific compounds exists, the selection of an appropriate air monitoring technique in most cases is left to the individual hygiene professional. In cases where a specific methodology is cited, alternative methods that can demonstrate acceptable levels of precision and accuracy also may be used. Passive organic vapor monitor methods have been developed and evaluated successfully by agencies such as the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety in the United States and the Health and Safety Executive in the United Kingdom for the monitoring of compounds such as aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons and formaldehyde. The data indicates that use of passive monitors for regulatory compliance monitoring has been accepted by regulatory authorities in countries where specific monitoring methodology is not required.

Passive badges have been utilized for many years throughout the industrial hygiene community for the sampling of organic vapors in air. Passive badges are, in many cases, preferred because of their simplicity and ease of use. Although they have received general acceptance by most practicing industrial hygiene professionals, many still are unconvinced that the devices can give results comparable to the traditional pump and tube technology. This evaluation encompassed many of the areas of concern that have been expressed in the past. A laboratory comparison was made of the 3M 3500 organic vapor monitor versus charcoal tubes in both short-term and full-shift scenarios. Benzene was chosen as the analyte of interest for most of the testing because of the general interest in benzene in both the chemical and refining industries. Back diffusion, humidity effects, concentration effects, storage stability, competing solvents, intermediate-duration spikes, short-duration spikes, and fluctuating concentrations were all investigated. The data confirm that the 3M 3500 passive badge gives precise and accurate results that are well within the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) acceptability criteria of +/- 25% accuracy.

No abstract

No abstract