Document MGmMNwKaE3G2ddjXMR0qMmKN9

CHEMICALS AND PLASTICS n? wmJ?,D!GTHE CONCENTRATION OF VINYL CHLORIDE IN THE WORK PLACE OR AMBIENT AIR ucc 063782 Attachment 5 (P. 1 of 64) OUR APPRECIATIVE THANKS TO Century Syttam* Corporation ... Analytical Inetrumant Development. Inc.... Mina Salary Appliance* Company ... lor panting ut permiition to reprint their publication* in thia booklet. NOTE: Union Carbide Corporation doe* not endona the equipment ham* or the method* of aneiytit prnanted herein to the excluiion of all other vendor! equipment or method* of analyti*. Union Carbide Corporation doe* ute the** method* of anatyti* and the equipment item* in it* monitoring operation*, and believe* H monitoring procedure* r*pr*ent good practice. Union Carbide Corporation aawma* no re*pon*%ilitv for the monitoring reeultt of other* uting the equipment or analytical method* lilted in thie booklet. IMPORTANT -- Tha information i* offered eololy for your eoneidaralion, invettigation.and verification end it not to be conitrued m a tnarranty or r^retentation for which we myna legal rutpontibility. In uting the** material*, you mutt tnabUth for younolf the meet tunable formulation*, production mothorb, and control left* to ensure the uniformity and quality of yOur product. UNION CARBIDE i* registered trade mark of Union Caibide Corporation, USA. 1974 by Union Carbide Corporation. UNION CARBIDE CORPORATION a CHEMICALS AND PLASTICS o 370 PARK AVENUE. NEW YORK. N.V. 10017 ucc 063783 \ MONITORING THE CONCENTRATION OF VINYL CHLORIDE IN THE WORK PLACE OR AMBIENT AIR Monitoring the concentration of vinyl chloride in the work place air is currently required by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration under the temporary standard for vinyl chloride, and will continue to be required under the permanent standard as promul gated in the Federal Register of October 4, 1974, and scheduled to become effective January 1, 1975. In addition, the Environmental Protection Administration will issue regulations requiring ambient air monitoring or setting specific limits on vinyl chloride emissions. The current and future OSHA regulations cover the vinyl chloride pro ducer, the resin manufacturer, and the resin pro cessor or fabricator who makes finished or semi finished products. OSHA regulations require monitoring of areas where employees may be exposed to vinyl chloride emissions or to polyvinyl chloride resins under a definite written program which includes the pos sibility of employee observers; the keeping of complete and accurate records for long periods of time, stating dates, levels, and type of equipment used; and with very high (95%) confidence levels for such monitoring procedures. The method of analysis and the details of the program are at this time, within the above frame work, left up to the employer. Any monitoring system must take into consid eration the following factors.- Potential for exposure to vinyl chloride is obviously higher for an employer manufac' turing, using, or handling vinyl chloride mono mer. This potential for exposure is relatively lower for a polyvinyl chloride resin user. Response time is important for the employer working with vinyl chloride monomer. If an over-limits emission occurs, he must take action immediately to protect the employees. A resin user is concerned only with the potential release of the vinyl chloride monomer contained in the resin as a raw material. He is far less likely to have an emergency which would expose em ployees to high concentrations of vinyl chloride monomer. Sensitivity to low concentrations of vinyl chlor ide by the monitoring system is required in all cases. Such sensitivity is 0.25 ppm. in air under the permanent standard. Flexibility of the monitoring system is of considerable importance, particularly, in a small business. With relatively few resources, such a company must be prepared to cope with regula tions from EPA, as well as OSHA, on vinyl chloride as well as other materials. Specificity of the monitoring system to vinyl chloride, such as a manufacturer of suspension vinyl chloride homopolymer, ie,, PVC. Data from an organic vapor analyzer should be adequate. The vinyl chloride monomer pro ducer; the lacquer formulator-, or any other manufacturer who works with other monomers or solvents needs to know the concentration of vinyl chloride and not the concentration of vinyl chloride plus naphtha or vinyl acetate. OSHA requirements also are a factor. The monitoring data should be acceptable to the compliance officer. The data should be com parable with the data from tests he performs. While not a part of the vinyl chloride standard, the employer should be able to monitor nui sance dusts as per OSHA requirement. Resin dust in the work space air may well be a factor in any OSHA inspection. Vinyl resin processors or users should consider their monitoring needs as they relate to the following categories: 1. When measurable amounts of vinyl chloride monomer exist or are likely to exist in the work space air. Polyvinyl chloride resins produced by the suspension or bulk polymerization process generally contain amounts of unconvened vinyl chloride monomer ranging from 0.01 to 0.2 per cent, depending on the panicle size of the resin, the porosity of the panicle, and the vendor's plant operation. This contained unconverted monomer weathers out of the resin slowly during storage, and is driven out by heat in the initial processing steps. Processors of this type of resin will likely find high concentrations of vinyl chloride monomer in storage areas, bins, bags, hopper cars or trucks, blenders, intensive mixers, "Banbury" mixers, extruders r calen ders. The results f monitoring are likely to indicate needs for improved ventilation, changes in work practices, or changes in processing equipment. These resin users must m nitor the 1 bSX90 030 ucc 063785 work space air vinyl chloride concentration, so that they can take appropriate action to protect their employees as well as meet the OSHA standard for monitoring. 2. When no measurable amounts of vinyl chloride monomer exist or are likely to exist in the work space air. Polyvinyl chloride resins produced by the dispersion or solution polymerization pro cess or vinyl resin compound that has already been hot processed generally contain 0 to 0.001 per cent free vinyl chloride monomer. Further hot processing, manufacture of organosols or plastisols, or the formulation of lacquers results in very little, if any, release of vinyl chloride monomer into the work space air. These resin users are concerned only with sufficient moni toring to meet OSHA requirements. They are not exempt from them even though the likeli hood of detecting vinyl chloride monomer in the work space air is remote. Resin users in this category might consider contracting out the monitoring work if commercial laboratory facilities are available, since needs are minimal. As with all simplifications, there is a large number of resin users who clearly fit neither category or who are not sure where they fit. These resin users or processors should query their resin or compound suppliers regarding the vinyl chloride content of the resin or resins being purchased. Since this content varies with the type of resin and the vendor, it is wise to make such inquiries thoroughly and carefully. Resin users or processors in Category No. 1 should consider a basic industrial hygiene labora tory consisting of the following items: A chromatograph with a flame ionization detec tor, such as Model 511 supplied by Analytical Instrument Development, Inc., Avondale, Pennsylvania 19311 for about $7,000 including accessory equipment. This instrument- is sensitive to less than 0.1 ppm. vinyl chloride, and is generally useful for a variety of other solvent monitoring operations. Several portable sampling pumps, such as the Mine Safety' Appliance "Monitaire" pump. These may be clipped to a worker's belt for personal sampling of vinyl chloride in air or dust in air. These pumps, including a battery charger, cost approximately $280 each. Analytical balance sensitive to 0.01 milligram. An assortment f sample tubes, syringes, and other glassware for sample c Ilection. The laboratory should be well ventilated with a hood for employee protection. Other facilities might include equipment for sample pump calibra tion and preparation of standard samples. This description is intended to portray only the broad outlines of such a laboratory. The actual outfitting of a laboratory is best left to a chemist or industrial hygienist. Analytical methods for determining vinyl chloride concentrations in air as ceiling values or time weighted averages as well as the concentration of vinyl chloride in resin are given in the Appendix. Vendor's descriptions of the specific equipment items are also included. Resin users or processors in Category No. 2 could use the same type laboratory facilities described for Category No. 1 users, or they could reduce the equipment cost by use of the following: A Century Systems Corporation Portable Or ganic Vapor Analyzer with Flame Ionization Detector, Model OVA-98. This analyzer has good sensitivity, good reproducibility, and is easy to operate. It costs approximately $3,000. The main disadvantage is that it is sensitive to all organic vapors, including vinyl chloride; thus, if other vapors are present, the reading translated to vinyl chloride concen tration will be higher than the actual concen tration. Century Systems Corporation is currently offering this instrument with chromatographic capability at a cost of approximately $3,500. The instrument with this option is specific for vinyl chloride or certain other solvents. This option, while relatively untested in the field, appears to be useful for the resin processor with limited laboratory facilities (see data sheet in Appendix.) One or more portable sample pumps with equipment for gravimetric sampling of air borne duns, such as the Mine Safety Appliance Pump described previously. These cost approximately $200 each. Analytical balance sensitive to 0.01 milligram for dust monitoring weighings. These facilities would have to be supplemented with other laboratory equipment selected by the chemist or industrial hygienist. Methods of analysis and operating instructions for the equipment should be obtained from the vendor of the equipment purchased. The equipment and analytical instruments list- ucc 063786 ed arc precision measuring devices; therefore, they need to be operated and maintained by skilled, knowledgeable technicians. Again, like any other precision measuring device, they should be cali brated and tested with standard samples either prepared in the laboratory or purchased from a commercial supplier of such samples. This booklet attempts to review the factors involved in vinyl chloride monitoring and their application to a resin processor. It also suggests equipment and methods of analysis for considera tion. Its principal purpose is to stimulate thoughts and plans with regard to the problem of monitor ing vinyl chloride monomer concentrations. ucc a 063787 i (jcc 063788 APPENDIX 1. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration: Exposure to Vinyl Chloride, Federal Register, Volume 39, No. 194, pp. 35890*35898, Friday, October 4, 1974. 2. Vendors' Publications on Analytical Instru ments: Century Systems Corporation, Portable Or ganic Vapor Analyzer, Model OVA-98. Analytical Instrument Development, Inc,, Portable Flame Photometric Gas Chromato graph, Model 511. Mine Safety Appliances Company, Model S Monitaire Sampler. 3. Methods of Analysis for Determining Vinyl Chloride in Air and in Resin: Vinyl Chloride, Determination in Air by Gas Chromatography. Vinyl Chloride, Determination in Air by Adsorption on Activated Charcoal and Analysis by Gas Chromatography. Determination of Residual Vinyl Chloride Monomer in Vinyl Resins. Dust, Determination of Total and Respirable Airborne Dust by Membrane Filter Sampling and Gravimetric Analysis. ucc f 063789