Comparison of lead and tin concentrations in air at a solder manufacturer from the closed-face 37-mm cassette with and without a custom cellulose-acetate cassette insert.
Authors
Lee-EG; Chisholm-WP; Burns-DA; Nelson-JH; Kashon-ML; Harper-M
Source
J Occup Environ Hyg 2014 Dec; 11(12):819-825
Abstract
A polyvinyl chloride (PVC) cassette insert with PVC filter (ACCU-CAP) in a 37-mm closed -face cassette (CFC) was designed for gravimetric analysis. A customized version of the ACCU-CAP, also to be used in the CFC, was manufactured from an acid-digestible cellulose-acetate cassette insert joined to a mixed cellulose ester (MCE) filter for wet chemical analysis. The aim of this study was to compare metal particle concentrations as sampled by the customized insert (CI) in a CFC sampler with the traditional sampling method using only a MCE filter in the CFC. Thirty-nine personal and 13 area samples were taken using paired filter-based CFC and the CI in CFC samplers at a solder manufacturing plant. The CI was removed from its CFC, digested and analyzed as a whole. The MCE filter from the typical CFC was removed for analysis and then the interior of the cassette was wiped with Ghost Wipe for a separate analysis. The MCE filter only, Ghost Wipe, and CI were separately dissolved in heated nitric acid for ICP-MS analysis. Overall, the geometric mean concentration of the filter-only (FO) samples was considerably lower than that of the CI samples, by 53% for lead and 32% for tin. However, if the FO analysis was added to the corresponding Ghost Wipe analysis, i.e., filter+interior wipe (FW), the geometric mean concentrations of the FW results were similar to those of the CI results (by 113% for lead and 98% for tin). For both lead and tin the comparison of (log-transformed) metal concentrations between the FW and CI results showed no statistically significant difference (p-value=0.3009 for lead and 0.800 for tin), while the comparison between the FO and CI results shows statistically significant differences (all p-values<0.05). In conclusion, incorporating the sampler internal non-filter deposits by wiping or use of an internal filter capsule gave higher results than analyzing only the filter. Close agreement between the two methods of including non-filter deposits is an indication of general equivalency.
Keywords
Sampling; Sampling-equipment; Exposure-limits; Exposure-levels; Analytical-processes; Chemical-analysis; Chemical-composition; Chemical-properties; Metal-compounds; Metallic-compounds; Particulates; Filters;
Author Keywords: Aerosol sampling; CFC sampler; Internal filter capsule; Metals; Solu-CAP; Solu-Sert
Contact
Eun Gyung Lee, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Health Effects Laboratory Division, Exposure Assessment Branch, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV 26505
CAS No.
7439-92-1; 7440-31-5
Document Type
Journal Article
Email Address
dtq5@cdc.gov
Priority Area
Manufacturing
Source Name
Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene