Document OzBXzn1r7yZ1vZmyLMrNwZX4v

INTER- fhce memo TENNECO CHEMICALS, INC. To G.I. Rozand AT Piscataway From W.C. Champion . AT Burlington Subject Personnel Exposure to VCM Date May 14, 1975 Copt to F. W. R. A. P.R. Kanzler Iojewski Scarito Sweeney Late in April, a program was begun to measure the VCM exposures of plant operating personnel, using eight-hour charcoal tube sampling. The method used was similar to that of the OSHA-prescribed sampling technique with sequential tubes exposed for normal ninety-minute per iods. The objective of this study is to compare data taken by this method with the time-weighted exposure averages (TWA) generated by our Bendix fixed-point monitoring system. Because of the relatively few samples taken to date, any conclusions made at this stage must be con sidered preliminary. Table I contains the monitoring data for the Burlington Plant. The Bendix data is presented in two ways: (1) the TWA data calculated for the shift in which the eight4iour samples were taken, and (2) the TWA data for the most recent weekly reporting period. In most cases, the eight4iour tube data show a higher exposure than the TWA, with the average difference being +1.4 ppm. Four classifications which did not exceed the permissable limit of 1 ppm as calculated from the Bendix system were shown to exceed 1 ppm in the charcoal tube sampling. Although more samples are needed, this suggests a reassessment of the sampling point locations, the job/time breakdown, or both. For Flemington (Table II), the data for the two techniques are in much closer agreement, with an average difference of only 0.5. In no case did the eight-hour tube give a value that was more than 0.3 ppm higher than the Bendix TWA, while in a majority of cases (ten of thirteen), the tube value was equal to or lower than the Bendix TWA. The charcoal tube data showed only one reading in excess of the permissable exposure limit which would not have been reported by the Bendix system. Attachments WCC/jst W.C. Champion' COLOR!TE 010072 TABLE I BEND1X TWA VERSUS EIGHT-HOUR CARBON TUBES BURLINGTON PLANT Date Monitored 4/25/75 4/25/75 4/28/75 4/29/75 4/30/75 5/1/75 5/1/75 5/6/75 5/6/75 5/6/75 5/6/75 5/7/75 5/7/75 5/7/75 5/8/75 5/8/75 5/8/75 Job Classification VCM, ppm Eight-Hour Tube Bendlx TWA, ppm VCM Shift Sampled Weekly Report suspension foreman PVC reactor operator/dumping dispersion foreman Ardo operator receiving clerk tower operator/charging tower operator/dumping PVC reactor operator/dumping # quality control technician utility/outside copolymer operator/dumping warehouseman maintenance warehouse supervisor shift foreman dryer operator bagger/plastisol 6.4 3.9 3.5 1.1 0.9 3.5 4.1 3.7 2.0 0.4 5.3 1.2 1.5 1.0 2.8 2.9 1.4 2.8 2.0 2.5 0.8 0.1 2.0 1.8 3.3 0 0.7 2.7 0,3 - 0.2 1.5 0.9 0.4 2.0 2.9 2.5 0.4 0.1 3.0 2.5 2.9 0.5 0.6 3.1 0.2 - 0.2 1,1 0.8 0.5 Period 4/26/75 to 5/2/75 W.C. Champion 5/14/75 COLORITE 010073 TABLE II BENDIX TWA VERSUS EIGHT-HOUR CARBON TUBES FLEMINGTON PLANT 'Sat Date Monitored 4/28/75 4/28/75 4/29/75 4/29/75 4/29/75 4/30/75 4/30/75 1/30/75 5/1/75 5/1/75 5/1/75 5/2/75 5/2/75 Job Classification bagger quality control technician poly foreman warehouseman maintenance clerk shift foreman reactor operator/charging maintenance/day dryer operator maintenance/shift boiler operator/lead boiler operator maintenance foreman ^Period 4/26/75 to 5/2/75 VCM, ppm Eight-Hour Tube Bendix TWA, ppm VCM Shift Sampled Weekly Report 0.1 0.1 2.3 0 0.1 1.1 1.0 0.6 0 0.2 0 0 0.1 0.1 0 2.1 1.0 0.2 0.8 2.4 1.3 0 0.9 1.0 1.0 0.1 0.1 0.1 1.5 1.2 0,2 0.8 1.5 0.8 0.1 1.0 1.0 1.0 0.2 W.C. Champion 5/14/75 COLORITE 010074