Validation of a respirator performance model

Details

• Personal Author:
  Hinds WC ; Kuo-T-L ; Risi D
• Description:
  A previously published model for respirator performance was validated by comparison with actual exposure concentrations of a respirator wearer, and the effects of particle size, fit, and work rate on the accuracy of the model were evaluated. Measurements were made using mannequins or human subjects. The test aerosol consisted of a solution of oleic-acid and sodium-fluorescein dye. The two particle sizes used were of mass median aerodynamic diameters of 0.65 and 1.42 micrometer (microm). In the mannequin procedure, a dual cartridge half mask was glued to the face with five sealable 3.7 millimeter (mm) gaps simulating facial seal leaks. All inhaled air passed through a 90mm sample cartridge. The logs of the predicted and measured percent penetrations at steady flow rates at 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 liters/minute correlated well. No statistically significant difference was seen between predicted and measured results. No significant difference was seen for four leak conditions with fit factors from 43 to over 5,000, using two breathing cycles. Eight tests completed on 16 human subjects included two fit conditions, two work rates, and two particle size distributions. A correlation coefficient of 0.76 was determined between measured and predicted values, indicating that 58% of the observed variation was attributed to the model. The remaining variation in penetration was attributed to the random nature of respirator performance and its measurement. Further statistical analysis indicated that the accuracy of the model was not affected by the value for fit factor, particle size, or work rate. Penetration for poorly fitting respirators was underpredicted. The authors conclude that the model accounts for the effects of fit, work rate, and particle size distribution. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Respiratory Protective Devices Safety
• Keywords:
  Equipment-reliability Mathematical-models NIOSH-Grant NIOSH-Publication Personal-protective-equipment Respirators Safety-equipment Simulation-methods
• ISSN:
  1047-322X
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  10
• Issue:
  10
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00229633
• Citation:
  Appl Occup Environ Hyg 1995 Oct; 10(10):827-832
• Contact Point Address:
  Environ and Nutritional Scis University of California 405 Hilgard Avenue Los Angeles, Calif 90024
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1996
• Performing Organization:
  University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  19830923
• Source Full Name:
  Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• End Date:
  19920831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:f78acff5dae808085a6b94c95af755feafec9c0ff9d695495f23dc024fcc212e703503eae9b64f274bea26f8e7df5b96df8aae016fb9c0ba7d5ff50c57f65edf
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/205858/cdc_205858_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 720.67 KB ]