On-site screening for benzene in complex environments

Details

• Personal Author:
  Burroughs, G. Edward ; Woodfin, William J.
• Description:
  Techniques for on site screening of benzene (71432) in workplace air were described and compared. The accuracies of three portable gas chromatographs, sorbent tube samples, and three types of detector tubes were examined by analysis of field samples collected during routine inspections of marine vessels. An integratable response with the retention time of benzene was identified using each of the three chromatographs tested; however, some interference was present in certain samples. The portable chromatographs were successful in detecting benzene in concentrations below the OSHA permissible exposure limit of 1 part per million and had a total analysis time of less than 10 minutes. The detector tubes were less precise and indicated higher benzene concentrations than the chromatographs; however, the results they provided regarding whether a space was within the 1 part per million safe for entry benzene concentration were in agreement with those obtained using the other techniques. Similar to the detector tubes, the charcoal tubes, which had to be sent for laboratory analysis, in some instances provided conservative estimates of safety. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Chemistry Chromatography Laboratories Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Safety Solvents
• Keywords:
  Analytical-methods Aromatic-hydrocarbons Chemical-analysis Chromatographic-analysis Laboratory-techniques NIOSH-Author Occupational-exposure Organic-solvents Screening-methods
• ISSN:
  0002-8894
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DPSE - Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  56
• Issue:
  9
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00228904
• Citation:
  Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 1995 Sep; 56(9):874-882
• Contact Point Address:
  G.E. Burroughs, Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45226
• CAS Registry Number:
  Benzene (CAS RN 71-43-2)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1995
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:f79920d84e174f5d81f82ba2f3cb0a66ef2e31936324f9d3f39233ec032840d1a4914fb08e81b03850b290ec1cc40835097398cd8e19e626db6d894f403dbaf6
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/205283/cdc_205283_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.04 MB ]