Industrial hygiene assessment of coal gasification plants.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Cubit DA ; Tanita RK
• Description:
  Worker exposures to hazardous chemicals were evaluated at coal gasification facilities. Industrial hygiene surveys were conducted, and air samples were collected for analysis of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, polynuclear aza heterocyclic hydrocarbons, aromatic amines, metals, common toxic gases, and other organic compounds. Sampling results indicated that workers were exposed to polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons in the low microgram per cubic meter range, with the light molecular weight compounds in higher concentrations than the four through seven ring compounds. Some specific activities produced higher concentrations. Aromatic amines, phenolic compounds and simple aromatic solvents were occasionally present at very low levels. High levels of carbon-monoxide (630080) and hydrogen-sulfide (7783064) were detected in some areas of the facilities. Analysis of wipe samples indicated that polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons containing up to five rings were present on most surfaces; the presence of these compounds may represent a skin exposure hazard. The fixed bed process produced significantly higher polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon emissions than the fluidized bed and entrained bed high temperature gasifiers. Emissions were reduced by negative pressure systems in one facility and enclosure of the process area in another. Maintenance activities produced higher exposures to polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons than routine operator activities. The authors recommend specific measures to reduce dermal exposures, and to control exposures to toxic gases.
• Subjects:
  Accidents, Occupational Eye Lighting Occupational Health Safety Sense Organs Staff Development Vision Disorders
• Keywords:
  Coal-gasification Contract-210-78-0040 Maintenance-workers NIOSH-Contract Occupational-exposure Organic-solvents Polycyclic-aromatic-hydrocarbons Skin-exposure Toxic-gases Work-practices
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Contract
• Genre:
  Final Contract Report
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; Virginia ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-176
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00192315
• Citation:
  NIOSH 1982 Mar; :1-176
• CAS Registry Number:
  Carbon monoxide (CAS RN 630-08-0) ; Hydrogen sulfide (CAS RN 7783-06-4)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1982
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  Appalachian Laboratory for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Morgantown, West Virginia
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:9c9d57b51538a6918c33549e81cfd73038481d2a4f82f85b70eda758d4ae97777f5321322fbd23064b83c5004f96d97643d306679e2d692b38ebc837cf0c41c9
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/180308/cdc_180308_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 5.35 MB ]