Amie E Norton, Doepke Amos, Nourian Fariba, Connick William B, Brown Kenneth K
Department of Chemistry, University of Cincinnati, P.O. Box 210172, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0172, United States.
NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health), 1090 Tusculum Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45226, United States.
J Chem Health Saf. 2018 Sep 1;25(5):2-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jchas.2018.01.001.
Herein we present the results of measurements using wireless direct-reading photoionization detector-based gas sensors to quantify concentrations of vapors of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in and around flammable storage cabinets containing common organic solvents, including acetone, dichloromethane, trichloroethylene, and benzene. Such cabinets are commonly employed in laboratories to contain flammable liquids. A sensor array was deployed in a series of flammable storage cabinets in working laboratories. Measurements in cabinets containing bottles of typical solvents demonstrate that vapor concentrations gradually increase upon closing the cabinet door. The results suggest that these storage units can be a source of vapors of VOCs in laboratories and the unnecessary exposure of laboratory workers to chemical vapors. Ventilation of cabinets tended to lower maximum concentrations of VOCs. However, the efficacy of this engineering control was found to depend on the quality of the cabinet door seal, as well as having debris-free flame arrestors. Opening cabinet doors resulted in release of vapors to the laboratory atmosphere, which represents an unnecessary exposure risk for workers. A countermeasure aimed at improving the seal of previously opened solvent bottles reduced measured concentrations of VOCs in cabinets below the detector's limit of detection.
在此，我们展示了使用基于无线直读光离子化探测器的气体传感器进行测量的结果，以量化包含常见有机溶剂（包括丙酮、二氯甲烷、三氯乙烯和苯）的易燃储存柜内及周围挥发性有机化合物（VOCs）蒸气的浓度。此类储存柜常用于实验室中存放易燃液体。在实际运行的实验室中，一系列易燃储存柜内布置了传感器阵列。对装有典型溶剂瓶的储存柜进行的测量表明，关闭柜门后，蒸气浓度会逐渐升高。结果表明，这些储存单元可能是实验室中VOCs蒸气的一个来源，会使实验室工作人员不必要地暴露于化学蒸气中。储存柜通风往往会降低VOCs的最高浓度。然而，发现这种工程控制措施的效果取决于柜门密封的质量以及有无无杂物的阻火器。打开柜门会导致蒸气释放到实验室空气中，这对工作人员构成了不必要的暴露风险。一项旨在改善先前打开的溶剂瓶密封的对策，使储存柜内测得的VOCs浓度降至探测器的检测限以下。
