Characterization and Evaluation of Performance of a Whole-Body Human Exposure Chamber

Details

• Personal Author:
  Pieretti LF
• Description:
  The purpose of this study was to characterize and evaluate the performance of a whole-body human exposure chamber for controlled test atmospheres of gases and particulates. The chamber was constructed from Plexiglass, has a volume of 75 ft3, operated at a flowrate of 33.8 CFM, and both the makeup and exhaust air are HEPA filtered. Fly ash dust was generated using a Wright Dust Feeder. An elutriator was used to eliminate particles larger 8 um aerodynamic diameter from the airstream. A direct reading instrument, the Rupprecht and Patashnick PM-10 TEOM, was used for determination of particle concentration. Particle size distributions were determined by a QCM cascade impactor. Data from gravimetric analysis were used to test for the evenness of dust concentrations in the chamber. CO2 is used as a representative gas and its concentration was measured using the Metrosonics aq-5000. Total dust concentrations as measured by the TEOM, in ug/m3, at 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 1.6 RPMs of the Wright Dust Feeder, were 110 +/- 2.8, 173 +/- 8.5, 398 +/- 20 and 550 +/- 17, respectively. For these RPMs, particle size distributions were associated with a MMD of 1.27 um and a GSD of 2.35, a MMD of 1.39 and a GSD of 2.22, a MMD of 1.46 and a GSD of 2.08, a MMD of 1.15 and a GSD of 2.2, respectively. Total dust concentrations as measured by gravimetric analysis, in ug/m3, at 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 1.6 RPMs of the Wright Dust Feeder, were 135 +/- 21, 200 +/- 35, 333 +/- 18 and 891 +/- 27, respectively. Similar results were found for the inhalable fraction and lower concentrations were found for the respirable fraction. Dust concentrations measured at different points within the chamber showed uniform distribution with a variability less than 10%. Similarly, the particle size distributions were found to be consistent across the different RPMs settings. Regarding carbon dioxide, its concentration was straightforward and the measured and theoretical maximum concentration levels were in agreement. The performance of this whole-body human exposure chamber has been characterized and evaluated for low levels of particles and gases and now it is a valuable research tool for inhalation challenge studies. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aerosols Dust Occupational Health Particulate Matter Respiratory System Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Inhalation Challenge Exposure Chambers Exposure System Gases Generation Of Aerosols Inhalation Studies Particle Size Particulate Dust Particulates
• ISBN:
  9781124271408
• Publisher:
  ProQuest LLC.
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Dissertation
• Place as Subject:
  Florida ; OSHA Region 4
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20056760
• Citation:
  Ann Arbor, MI: ProQuest LLC., 2010 Jun; :3425670
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2010
• Performing Organization:
  Sunshine Education and Research Center, University of South Florida
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Characterization and evaluation of performance of a whole-body human exposure chamber
• End Date:
  20290630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:be9136815504dbcdc6fb797e5947c3c3bc5ce4fd1e036b6fd250753baebf9c50839e9e8c50fb6f17b5076bb9c400c65fa3137a6e903ebbfead821b69e7ce2e5a
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/214302/cdc_214302_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 560.33 KB ]