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Survey of Waste Comminglers’ VOC Exposures
| Content Provider | Scilit |
|---|---|
| Author | Ryan, Timothy J. |
| Copyright Year | 2002 |
| Description | Journal: Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association Twelve U.S. universities performing hazardous waste solvent commingling operations were surveyed for waste handler exposures to 45 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-designated volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Personal exposures (n = 33) and area concentrations (n = 30) were determined using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis of passively collected samples. Air monitoring data were used to determine the veracity of laboratory-generated reports of waste container contents. Participants completed a questionnaire concerning the use of personal protective equipment, ventilation, and other appropriate safety equipment for their specific commingling operation. Follow-up telephone interviews were conducted to elucidate safeguards in place. Results showed that personal exposures exceeded area concentrations in 70% of operations. For the contaminant concentrations reported, 17% of personal samples exceeded Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) time-weighted average or ceiling limit values. Methylene chloride was a frequently seen airborne contaminant not listed on drum inventory sheets. When airborne constituents were compared with container content tags, 44% of the chemicals detected in air were omitted from the waste tags. This study concluded that the most frequently necessary safeguard is respiratory protection, preferably a supplied-air-type. The use of local exhaust ventilation systems rather than dilution or natural systems and facility operation in a totally explosion-safe manner are also recommended. |
| Related Links | http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10473289.2002.10470862?needAccess=true |
| Ending Page | 1306 |
| Page Count | 9 |
| Starting Page | 1298 |
| ISSN | 10962247 |
| e-ISSN | 21622906 |
| DOI | 10.1080/10473289.2002.10470862 |
| Journal | Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association |
| Issue Number | 11 |
| Volume Number | 52 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited |
| Publisher Date | 2002-11-01 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Journal: Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association Environmental Engineering Safety Equipment Airborne Constituents |
| Content Type | Text |
| Subject | Atmospheric Science Pollution Waste Management and Disposal Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law |
