Evaluation of Low-Cost Hydrogen Sulfide Monitors for Use in Agriculture

Details

• Personal Author:
  Beswick-Honn JM
• Description:
  Workers may be exposed to harmful gases in many industries, and gas monitors are often used to alert workers when gas concentrations approach dangerous levels. Agricultural workers are similarly at risk for exposure to toxic gases, particularly hydrogen sulfide exposure in livestock work. However, gas monitors that are used in traditional industries are typically impractical for agricultural operations because they require high levels of maintenance and are prohibitively expensive. Simpler, low-cost monitors for hydrogen sulfide have become available that are advertised to require little- or no-maintenance for up to two years. This study selected four models of low-cost monitors to compare features and to test performance when exposed to low levels of hydrogen sulfide over an extended period of time, as would be expected in an agricultural environment. Two types of models were selected: monitors that display the concentration of hydrogen sulfide and monitors that respond only to pre-set low and high alarm levels. A year of hydrogen sulfide exposure was simulated at levels typically expected within a barn by enclosing the monitors inside a chamber of gas and observing performance. Monitors were tested at concentrations up to 10 ppm, while fatalities typically occur at greater than 500 ppm. Concentration-display models were consistently inaccurate when compared to known gas concentrations by +/- 3 ppm, but showed fewer performance issues related to duration of gas exposure. The performance of the alarm-only models degraded more noticeably over time, with both models failing to respond to high alarms before the end of the simulated barn year. For worker safety, monitors must be checked for performance regularly to ensure proper operation in a hazardous environment. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Agriculture Hazardous Substances Hazardous Waste Hydrogen Sulfide Livestock Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Agricultural Industry Animal Waste Author Keywords: Agriculture Electrochemical Properties Electrochemical Sensors Gas Detectors Hazardous Waste Hydrogen Sulfide Manure Pits Monitors Sensors

  More +
• Publisher:
  University of Iowa
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Thesis
• Place as Subject:
  Iowa ; OSHA Region 7
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-52
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20052582
• Citation:
  Iowa City, IA: University of Iowa, 2017 May; :1-52
• CAS Registry Number:
  Hydrogen sulfide (CAS RN 7783-06-4)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2017
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
• Performing Organization:
  University of Iowa, Iowa City
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20010930
• Source Full Name:
  Evaluation of low-cost hydrogen sulfide monitors for use in agriculture
• End Date:
  20270929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:28656e6ecb205b46fb56f7d3964c05e4d703f475b826ce556774ee43f2e088a1f424f383a9130e888232033b1fed077d2041462a845813db6decd66a2ce4d70c
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/212091/cdc_212091_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.80 MB ]