Test for the Integrity of Environmental Tractor Cab Filtration Systems

Details

• Personal Author:
  Heitbrink, William A. ; Jensen, Paul A. ; Moyer, Ernest S.
• Description:
  Cab filtration systems can be used to protect vehicle operators from hazardous air contaminants. In a cab filtration system, a fan draws air through filters and pressurizes the cab with this filtered air. This article describes the application of a low-cost, optical particle counter to evaluate the performance of tractor cab filtration systems. The tractors were equipped with environmental enclosures to protect the operators from pesticide exposures that occur during air blast spraying in orchards. Prior to testing, all environmental tractor cabs underwent a complete maintenance overhaul followed by a careful inspection by the manufacturer's field representative. As part of this maintenance effort, 13 tractors with cab filtration systems were tested in an enclosure. A Met One model 227B two-channel optical particle counter was used to measure the aerosol concentration outside and inside the cab. Ambient aerosol and/or aerosol generated by burning incense sticks were used to challenge the stationary cab filtration system in an enclosure. The ratio of the outside to inside concentration (Co/Ci) is the exposure reduction attained by the cab system. Alternatively, the inside concentration divided by the outside concentration times 100 (Ci/Co x 100) gives the percent penetration. All 13 tractors were tested for leak sites. Leak sites were identified and sealed. This process was repeated until each cab showed an exposure reduction ratio Co/Ci of at least 50 (aerosol penetration into the cab Ci/Co x 100 was less than 2%) at the 0.3-0.5 microm particle size interval. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aerosols Agriculture Air Pollutants, Occupational Air Pollution, Indoor Environmental Monitoring Filtration Insecticides Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Agricultural-chemicals Agricultural-industry Agricultural-machinery Agricultural-workers Air-contamination Author Keywords: Agricultural Workers Environmental Enclosures Exposure-assessment Exposure-levels Filters Pesticides Tractor Cabs Tractors

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• ISSN:
  1545-9624
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Georgia ; Iowa ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 7 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DRDS - Division of Respiratory Disease Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  2
• Issue:
  10
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20028670
• Citation:
  J Occup Environ Hyg 2005 Oct; 2(10):516-523
• Contact Point Address:
  Ernest S. Moyer, National Institute for Occupationa Safety and Health, Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, Laboratory Research Branch, Mail Stop H2800, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV 26505
• Email:
  esm2@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2006
• NORA Priority Area:
  Research Tools and Approaches: Control Technology and Personal Protective Equipment
• Performing Organization:
  University of Iowa
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• End Date:
  20290630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:ce7d69d2580c466e7f5ac922128dfbca19c020b856d0b90ba482a98a0d2fea8b030122f0adc9f2be311c9bf343c27d35a72e14b28fca76d7809ae84f22711a9a
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/189877/cdc_189877_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 425.49 KB ]