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A field test of two moist-cloth wipes for sampling lead in surface dust.

Ewers L

American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition, June 1-6, 2002, San Diego, California. Fairfax, VA: American Industrial Hygiene Association, 2002 Jun; :96

20022547

A recent NIOSH health hazard evaluation, conducted for a small neon-sign manufacturer, provided an opportunity to compare two moist cloth wipes (Ghost wipes and Wash'n Dri) used to sample lead (Pb) in surface dust (NIOSH Method 9100). Each of two work surfaces (right and left) was sampled using a template in four side-by-side locations. In one of these four locations, a first-wipe sample with a Ghost wipe was followed by second-wipe sample with a Wash'n Dri. In other locations, a Wash'n Dri was followed by a Ghost wipe, a Ghost wipe was followed by a Ghost wipe, or a Wash'n Dri was followed by a Wash'n Dri. This same pattern of samples was repeated on the second work surface, resulting in a total of eight samples. Both types of wipes were analyzed using NIOSH Method 7300. A t-test of the two types of surface wipes revealed no significant difference between them with regard to the amount of Pb collected on the first wipe (Ghost mean = 47 micrograms Pb, Wash'n Dri mean = 34 micrograms Pb, p = 0.67). However, a marked difference existed between the lead collected from the two work surfaces (mean of left surface = 12 micrograms Pb, range 10 - 13; mean of right surface = 71 micrograms Pb, range 46 - 90). More important, the relative collection efficiency, defined by ASTM as the ratio of the amount of lead collected with the first-time wipe to the amount of lead collected with the second-time wipe, was less (range from 1.4 - 4.1) from an area with a heavy lead loading than with a light lead loading (range from 4.8 - 8.7). Based on the differing relative collection efficiencies, we concluded that wipe samples may have limitations when comparing surfaces containing differing amounts of lead.

Sampling; Lead-compounds; Lead-dust; Dusts; Dust-sampling; Dust-particles; Particulates; Particulate-dust; Health-hazards; Surface-properties; Sampling-methods

20020601

Abstract

2002

DSHEFS

American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition, June 1-6, 2002, San Diego, California

OH; CA