Professional Documents
Culture Documents
9.1.
9.2.
The term "toxic substances" generally refers to agents that cause harm
to the body. Examples would be irritants, systemic poisons, depressants,
asphyxiants, carcinogens, teratogens, and mutagens. "Hazardous materials"
are more likely to be associated with safety hazards, such as fire and
explosion hazards. Admittedly, toxic substances are also hazardous, but
the terminology used by OSHA and practicing professionals is to make the
above-described distinction between the two terms.
9.3.
9.4.
9.5.
9.6.
Dentistry
9.7.
For most toxic substances, OSHA has taken a general approach and has
published "national consensus" PELs, based upon existing TLVs published
by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH).
However, for some substances OSHA has gone much further and written
"completed" standards, each addressing a particular substance. Prominent
examples of such substances are asbestos and lead. Other prominent
examples include benzene, vinyl chloride, cadmium, and arsenic. (See
Table 9.1 of the text).
9.8.
9.9.
9.10.
9.11.
"Solid" particles that are generally too fine to be called dusts. Fumes
are typically formed by the resolidification of vapors from very hot
processes such as welding.
9.12.
Carbon
Dioxide
5,000
Ci
330
x
-- = ------- + ---- < 1
Li
5000
50
x < 1 - 330
50
5000
x < 9670
50
5000
x < 9670(50)
5000
x < 96.7 ppm carbon monoxide
9.13.
C x Ti
8 hr
.00004
.00060
.00064
CiTi
.00064
E = --------- = ------- = .00008
8
8
TWA
.00008 = ---106
TWA = 80 ppm
The PEL for methyl styrene (from Appendix A.1) is 100 ppm and is
preceded by the letter C, which identifies it as a "ceiling"
concentration, not a TWA. The AL, at one-half the PEL, would be 50 ppm,
also a "ceiling" concentration. Since the afternoon concentration, at .
00015 = 150 ppm, exceeds both PEL and AL ceilings, both PEL and AL are
exceeded, even though the TWA at 80 ppm is lower than the PEL.
9.14.
Concentration
Duratio
n
trifluorobromomethane
.001
propane
.0005
phosgene
1 x 10-6
1/4
hrs
hrs
hr
TWA
(trifluorobromomethane)
TWA
(propane)
(phosgene)
Em = Ci =
LI
375 +
1000
500 + .03125
1000
.1
= .375 + .5 + .3125
Em = 1.1875
Since Em > 1, the mixture exceeds the OSHA PEL (and the AL, too).
(b)
9.16.
Conc.
10
CO
Length C x L
2
20
Conc.
1
Iron Oxide
Manganese
Length C x L Conc. Length C x L
2
2
1
2
2
20
40
25
25
30
Total
9
21
1
Total
2
0
90
175
7
TWA CO = 175/8 = 21.875 ppm
3
Total
PELs
50
5000
10
(C)5
1000
5000
2.625
10
1
5
= .4375 + .2 + .2625 + .2
Em = 1.050
Since Em = 1.050 > 1, the mixture exceeds the PEL.
9.17.
9.18.
9.19.
9.20.
9.21.
At home, ingestion, skin contact, then inhalation are the order of most
frequent occurrences of poisoning. At work, the order is reversed.
9.22.
Vapors are gases that come from substances that are normally in a liquid
or solid state. Fumes are solid particles which are too fine to be
considered as dust. Fumes are usually formed by the resolidification of
vapors from very hot processes such as welding.
9.23.
9.24.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
.01 to
0.3 micrometers
.01 to 0.4 micrometers
500 to 700 micrometers
.2 to 20 micrometers
9.26.
9.27.
2
1
2
3
8
hrs
hr
hrs
hrs
hrs
50
150
100
200
1050/8 = 131.25
200
100
150
200
600
1050
Sulfur
Total
Dioxide (Mixture)
CiTi
Ci
CiTi
5
10
5
10
60/8 = 7.5
25
10
10
10
30
60
0
1
1
1
1
2
3
6
6/8 = .75
5
PEL.
(Also exceeds the AL, of course)
9.28.
9.29.
9.30.
9.31.
(The AL is exceeded.)
With the hot oven adding an additional 25 ft3 of alcohol vapor to the
room, the total would be 5 ft3 + 25 ft3 = 30 ft3. Under these new
conditions, six times as much vapor has been introduced into the
apartment's air. If it is assumed that the initial and average
concentrations are also six times as great as in Exercise 9.30, then:
Concentration initial = 6 x 1042 ppm = 6252 ppm
Average concentration 6 x 771 ppm = 4626 ppm
Since 4626 ppm > 1000 ppm, PEL is exceeded.
9.32.
Range
Tube 5H
Percent
PPM
Lower
.05%
500
Tube 5M
Upper
8.0%
80000
Lower
.002%
20
Upper
.36%
3600
9.34.
From Table A.1 of the text, the PEL (TWA) for isopropyl acetate is 250
ppm. The AL = 1/2 PEL = 125 ppm
Detector tube range: 0.05% to 0.75%
converted to ppm:
Detector tube range: 500 ppm to 7500 ppm
The detector tube is of insufficient sensitivity to be useful as a
detector of concentrations near the PEL or AL.
9.35.
9.36.
Contaminant
Conc
PEL
AL
Isopropyl ether
Ethyl benzene
Chlorobenzene
200
40
25
500
100
75
250
50
37.5
Chlorobromomethane
50
200
100
On the surface it appears that the new solvent will help matters by
reducing the solvent vapor release by 20%. However, 20% is only a modest
improvement, and a more knowledgeable assessment would include a
comparison of the PELs for the two solvents under consideration. The old
solvent, Stoddard solvent, is listed in the OSHA list for air contaminant
PELs as a TWA of 500 ppm (see Appendix A.1). The new solvent,
perchloroethylene is listed in Appendix A.1 with a reference to Appendix
A.2. Earlier editions of the Appendix have recognized "perchloroehtylene"
and "tetrachloroethylene" as synonyms. Tetrachloroethylene is found in
Appendix A.2 to have a TWA PEL of 100 ppm and a MAC of 200
ppm. Therefore perchloroethylene is much more tightly controlled as a
more hazardous substance than Stoddard solvent. The advantage of the
modest reduction in solvent vapors is more than offset by the fact that
the new solvent is much more dangerous, five times as dangerous as
indicated by the ratio of PELs. It would be more difficult to control
the new solvent to levels within the PEL and AL. The consultant should
point this out to the process engineer and caution against making the
process change.
9.38.
Morning
Exposure
Ci/Li
Substance
TWA
hrs)
ppm
.15
mg/m3
.125
ppm
ppm
ppm
.25
mg/m3
mg/m3
(4 hrs)
Li
OSHA
(4
PEL*
.5 ppm
1 ppm
Sodium hydroxide
.2 mg/m3
.3 mg/m3
Ammonium sulfide
none
0
Calcium bisulfide
none
0
Carbon disulfide
3 ppm
4 ppm
3.5
5 ppm
8 ppm
6.5
4 ppm
6 ppm
Sodium sulfide
none
0
Sodium sulfite
none
0
.7 mg/m3
.8 mg/m3
.75
.5 mg/m3
.5 mg/m3
.5
Total Em =
i=1
9.39.
Ci
----- = .525
Li
Morning
Exposure
Substance
TWA
hrs)
Ci
8-hr
Acetic anhydride
.525
Ci/Li
Afternoon
Exposure
(4 hrs)
.75 ppm
.25 mg/m3
5 ppm
20
Ci
8-hr
Li
OSHA
(4
PEL*
.525
Formaldehyde
ppm
.333*
1 ppm
1 ppm
1 ppm
.858
*Appendix A.2
Total Em =
i=1
Ci
----- = .858
Li
The accident occurred on January 30, 1995. The Arkhangelsk Pulp and
Paper Combine of Novodvinsk, Russia emitted up to 16 tons of mercury
compounds into the Svernaya Dvina River. The emission of toxic mercury
compounds into the river were, and still are, a health threat to the
people of the area, and are a threat to the ecological health of the
river itself. The contamination of the Svernaya Dvina River at this point
was as high as 740 and 640 critical contamination concentrations (cac),
on each side of the river. In laymens terms, this represents a
contamination 20 times greater than the acceptable level for the Svernaya
Dvina River at this geographical point. There is danger that the
accidental release and the continued release of mercury compounds into
the river will result in the death of the river. The Svernaya Dvina
River empties into the White Sea and ultimately into the Arctic
Ocean. While the much larger body of water represented by the Arctic
Ocean will disperse the concentration rather quickly, the Arctic Ocean,
because of the low water temperatures is a much more fragile environment
than the waters of more temperate oceans. The Arctic Region is much more
sensitive to this type of pollution due to the lack of microscopic
organisms that help to neutralize this type of contamination in more
temperate regions. Source:
Internet
http://gurukul.ucc.american.edu/TED.MERCURY.HTM
9.41.
(a) 1910.1052
(b) April 10, 1997
(c) The rate of implementation of the start-up phase depends upon the
size of the company and upon the section of the standard, as follows:
COMPANY SIZE: <20 employees 20<employees<99
>99 employees
Initial monitoring
300 days
210 days
Engineering controls
3 years
2 years
120
days
1
year
All other requirements
days
1 year
270 days
180
By searching the OSHA website for the keyword "methylene chloride" the
Internet surfer can be directed to the preamble to the standard that
appeared in the Federal Register when the methylene chloride standard was
promulgated (January 10, 1997). The summary to the preamble claimed that
the standard would result in a savings of 31 cancer deaths per year plus
3 deaths per year from central nervous system disorders and
carboxyhemoglobinemic effects (carbon monoxide poisoning complications).
The cost of compliance was estimated to be $101 million/year. Searching
the archived News Releases on the OSHA website, OSHA News Release 97-06,
dated January 9, 1997, can be found. In this release, then OSHA Director
Joseph Dear stated that a total of 34 lives per year would be saved, 31
from long-term effects and 3 from short-term effects. The news release
also reported an estimated 237,500 workers are exposed to methylene
chloride.
9.43.
On the OSHA website, going to the archived news releases, search for the
term "butadiene." This will display OSHA News Release 96-147, dated
October 24, 1996. According to the News Release, the PEL was reduced from
1,000 ppm to 1 ppm. (This represents a thousand-fold reduction.) The
estimated cost of compliance with the standard was $2.9 million per year.
The more stringent standard is expected to prevent at least 79 cancer
deaths over a 45-year working lifetime.
9.44.
The top on the list of frequently cited standards among the standards
completion project substances was Lead, which accounted for
approximately one-third of all citations for standards completion
project substances. Following is a listing of the top three, with
frequency of citation for each:
29CFR1910.1025 Lead: 1137 citations
29CFR1910.1052 Methylene Chloride: 769 citations
29CFR1910.1048 Formaldehyde: 308 citations
Source: NCM database
9.45.
From the OSHA website it can be determined that the general OSHA
standard for air contaminants is 29CFR1910.1000. The specific provisions
that require air contaminants to be held within their respective PELs are
presented with their respective enforcement statistics, as determined
from the NCM database:
Standard Provision
Coverage
1000(a)
1000(b)
1000(c)
All of the above
Table Z.1
Table Z.2
Table Z.3
Citation
Frequency
150
21
97
268
Total
$ Penalty
$168,000
$79,425
$145,950
$393,375
Average
$ Penalty
$1,123
$3,782
$1,505
$1,468
Source NCM database
9.46.