A modified field test for the determination of carbon disulphide vapour in air

Abstract

An improved and more sensitive method is described for the determination of carbon disulphide vapour in air a t concentrations up to 40 p.p.m. V / V . Carbon disulphide vapour is absorbed from a 500-ml sample of air into an ethanolic solution containing copper(I1) acetate, diethylamine and triethanolamine. The yellow colour produced is compared visually with standard colours or measured spectrophotometrically. For field use, the apparatus is portable and simple to operate, and requires a working time of about 5 minutes per determination.THE field test currently in use by H.M. Factory Inspectorate for the determination of carbon disulphide vapour in air1 is basically the same as that which was first published in 1939 and is derived from a method2 originally published in 1932. The method is required for assessing the atmosphere within a factory and to give a rapid, approximate determination of concentrations of carbon disulphide in the region of the threshold limit value, currently 20 p.p.m. V / V , 3 in order to judge whether or not a hazard to health exists. (Threshold limit values refer to time-weighted concentrations in air for an 8-hour working day and a 40-hour working week, and represent conditions under which it is believed that nearly all workers may be repeatedly exposed without adverse effect on their health. Detailed conditions and exceptions are given in reference 3.) A re-examination of the method was undertaken for the following three reasons.(i) It was occasionally found that when the component solutions were mixed in the bubbler the absorption solution became turbid and its colour blue instead of remaining a clear, pale green. (ii)The volume of air to be sampled (2.5 litres) was of an inconvenient size; it was excessively large for the use of a rubber-bulb aspirator, which would require twenty aspirations, and too small to warrant the use of an electric pump and flow meter. The rubber-bulb aspirator was preferred because of its portability, and so an increase in sensitivity was sought in order to permit a reduction in the volume of air sampled. (iiz)The existing method was devised before threshold limit values for toxic substances in air were first compiled and it does not provide for a standard at the threshold limit value for carbon disulphide.A survey of published analytical methods disclosed no method that appeared suitable for adaptation as a replacement for the existing method, and modification of the latter seemed to afford the most profitable line of investigation.

Flame photometric determination of carbon disulfide in air after specific preconcentration

“…X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) or ESCA (electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis) recently has been used widely to study molybdenum compounds (1,2) and Mo/Al203 hydrodesulfurization catalysts (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9), usually containing Co as a promoter. The Mo 3d binding energies have been very useful in assigning the oxidation state and coordination environment of Mo in the oxidized and sulfided catalysts.…”

Colorimetric Methods for Field Measurement of Sulfide Odorants

“…A number of references were also found from a literature search (2,3,(5)(6)(7)(8)10,11,(13)(14)(15)(16)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)29,30,(32)(33)(34)44,46,47,49,(51)(52)(53)(54)(56)(57)(58)(62)(63)(64)(65). All these reactions were identified as potentially worthwhile and were examined in a t least abstract form to determine if the general criteria for the test reaction were met a t least in part.…”

Spectrophotometric Determination of Carbon Disulphide in the Workplace Air

“…e oldest colorimetric and spectrophotometric methods are based on the reaction of CS 2 with alcohols transformed on yellow copper xanthates [5]. Coloured dithiocarbamates have the most important relevance, which results from the reaction of CS 2 with the prime and secondary amines and usually with ion of copper and nickel [6][7][8][9]. Other methods were described as well.…”