Document Ra2xRpD2n9VpDB68779azbvMk

t I? DOW CHEMICAL U.S.A. October 26, 1977 LOUISIANA DIVISION PLAQUE MINE, LOUISIANA 70704 004 087-4321 To: C. Barrios Xc: Solvents Supervisors C. Halphen HEX-EXCURSION SAMPLES Introduction: This report describes the results of excursion samples taken within the Solvents plant for the detection of hexachloroethane (HCE) hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD), and hexachlorobenzene (HCBZ). Procedure: Sipin personal sampler pumps were either worn by employees as they performed specific jobs or placed in certain areas of the plant. The samplers were each attached to a 4 inch X 0.25 inch glass tube packed with porapak Q chromatographic column packing and were all calibrated to operated at 75 cc/minute flow. For the specified sampling period the pump sampled on a con tinuous basis the air personnel were exposed to or present in the various sample points. The porapak Q packing was then ex tracted with pesticide grade hexane and analyzed for the hexachlorinated compound via electron capture detection gas chroma tography. PPB by volume concentration levels were determined by the following equation: ppb(v) Hex cmpd = (ug hex cmpd) RT X 10^ (MW) (P) (L) where: R = 0.08251 l/atm/K ; T s K ug = micrograms of hex compound detected P = 1 atm or 760 mm Hg DO 101395 CONFIDENTIAL AN OPERATING UNIT OF THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY Results: Table I shows the results of personnel excursions for specific duties performed by the employee within a particular job classification. Exposures to hexachlorobutadiene were above the TLV of 10 ppb for all of these jobs. Table II shows the results of aerial excursions. Again in most cases the concentration levels for hexachlorobutadiene were high and above the TLV. Table III shows a comparison of aerial excursions taken while the thermal oxidizer burned hexes with those taken when no hexes were burned. Samples collected for the former showed higher concentrations for all three hex compounds. Summary/Conelusion: Hexachlorinated compounds were detected in both personnel and aerial excursion samples in moderate amounts. While exposure to hexachloroethane and hexachlorobenzene were well within the respective TLV's for all samples, the exposure in most cases to hexachlorobutadiene were relatively high and above the TLV limits. Monitoring of these jobs and other related ones should be continued on a regular basis. L. R. Smith Industrial Hygienist C. Solvents DO 101396 CONFIDENTIAL TABLE I (Personnel Hex Excursions)* Employee Job Sampling Sampling Liter Classification Date Time,hrs. Air HCE HCBD j C. Arceneaux R. Vaughn OTT EDO 10/5/77 JL75^. SOT Per/Tet 10/7/77 8.0 7.6 50.0 464.6 36.7 488.9 39.4 D. LeCouq SOT Per/Tet 10/10/77 6.0 26.0 48.2 65.5 y Q. Skidmore W. Hines W. Hines Janitor Janitor 11 10/7/77 10/7/77 10/14/77 8.0 8.0 8.0 22.9 195.9 30.0 125.5 35.4 ^ 367.5 218.1 111.0 72.3 W. Hines If 10/17/77 1.0 4.3 94.6 66.9 W. Hines W. Hines W. Hines *ppb (v) IT 11 10/18/77 10/19/77 2.75 2.0 6.6 260.2 160.8 4.9 15.2 10.9 11 10/19/77 2.0 5.2 14.7 22.7 HCBZ 12.4 10.0 42.6 26.3 16.2 1.12 4.6 4.7 0.5 t 0.6 Activity Repaired C-5B reflux pump- Pulled only. Repaired leaks on E-12 Small leak under D-2C/routine Worked in hex area tl IT M 11 Shoveled hexes out of ditch by green tank/cleaned hexes off lines on D-13 Hosing up hexes & organics spilled on ground during R-1C shutdown Cleaned up hex area Worked around D-13 on hoslng-up hexes Cleaned hexes around D-12 & hosed area 00 1Ol397 C0^rD(rNTrAL Employee C. Arceneaux Job Classification OTT EDO TABLE I - continued Date Time,hrs. Liters 10/20/77 0.3 2.7 HCE 12.5 HCBD 19.3 HCBZ 1.3 L. Sam OT EDO 10/20 77 0.3 2.7 18.4 33.4 1.7 Activity Pulled P-34B which is the pump on D-13 and steamed out Observed Charles as he pulled pump above stood downwind of the activity - wind out of NE at 8 mph Taylor Demsey Dow Industrial 10/17/77 Service (DIS) Dow Industrial Service (DIS) 10/17/77 1.0 1.0 9.5 29.2 25.5 1.6 Worked as rodder on D-2C reboiler 8.4 7.4 9.9 3.0 Worked the foot control pedal for Taylor as he rodded D-2C reboiler - stood about 15' away from the job 00 1013*58 CONFIDENTIAL Sample Location Downwind of F-4 stack Control room Control room Control room Base of C-60 Base of R-51 Base of R-l Base of BRU East of D-15 Sampling Date 10/10/77 10/17/77 10/18/77 10/19/77 10/17/77 10/17/77 10/18/77 10/19/77 10/19/77 TABLE II (Hex Aerial Excursions)* Sampling Liters Time,hrs. Air HCE HCBD 4.0 3.25 12.6 13.9 66.9 14.3 264.6 10.7 8.0 8.0 3.25 34.9 34.7 15.0 1.8 1.7 83.3 2.9 2.8 34.5 3.25 8.0 8.0 8.0 13.4 31.8 28.1 35.0 3.3 9.3 5.3 26.5 14.5 14.2 14.9 12.0 HCBZ 60.7 0.73 0.62 0.47 0.68 1.9 0.62 0.54 0.53 Comments Hexes burning Operators traveling in and out from R-1C which shutdown and was being washed out Wind out of North *3 2 mph Wind out of SW 0 2 mph Some hexes on the ground in the area - F-4 not burning hexes Downwind of F-4/ wind out of the North at 2 mph Wind out of North *3 2 mph Downwind of hex area wind out of SW at 2 mph Downwind of hex area wind out of SW at 2 mph *ppb (v) 00 101399 CONFIDENT^1-- TABLE III (Hex Excursion Samples)* Sample Location Sampling Date Ditch by C-32 drain 10/6/77 Ditch by C-32 drain 10/10/77 Sampling Time,hrs. 4.0 4.0 Liters Air HCE 17.5 12.3 1.4 48.2 HCBD 1.0 65.5 HCBZ 0.03 42.6 Comments Not burning hexes F-4 burning hexes Ditch at west corner of 123 unit 10/6/77 Ditch at west corner of 123 unit 10/10/77 4.0 4.0 17.7 5.2 10.0 13.5 52.9 86.8 0.1 Not burning hexes 5.1 F-4 burning hexes Ditch by Don Rouse's office 10/6/77 Ditch by Don Rouse's office 10/10/77 4.0 4.0 15.8 13.5 7.8 15.3 0.13 Not burning hexes 6.8 8.1 43.5 F-4 burning hexes *ppb (v) * no 1014 confidential X T NAME CLASS /6-C> // 7>rM 6? C'l ? , //?/ ~p,-/cj (>w <h /a3 tx+i^. M-C ^/Jtit'Prdd P*J *s*<S*' BEGIN FINISH /{u.* PUMP TUBE #N0 tf * ( $&llT LITRES FACTOR STOP 1*/<?9SS I7. 0^/i> 2( tuvn \ >-< *1?*/ ( Z?) ins'?*/ 1IT tlo 229/fO /* ?S~ RATE * TEMP CCfrJMENTS ( >i2J #e /Utf~ /t4X*!& /fr ///Wfr ( TP"/' /^4r/t Atje*< /?T' f/M 4_ 1 // 1W A/#? /S^S^f df**** //r /?ma* 'c * tfri PICKtf l/jfu^A^ jO-1 /iL JjfM'tr&tC Ill {?/(.<:if i/4*<4fA*> - H?. 'S/}A0^ /$ -- - i/exM**) $As$ /**'* Wt $h Vi'H'Al // Z& zfzfo 1 *. Z tn mm Z'//Pt zf ZZSSZ <U ri'po .US' 1 | *+ 7Q^,,(C 7 '. b S'FS */&$& AZtif >2<f Q^jO*\ ( <///?* (g/)[ ? ( / <? ') /rn.m ? 9*iC ,2?** --------" ns&c ! Z'Z\ ^____/ *5r/> /Aa t?~& ' - -- - '%S * > \ f ' / DO 10140? CONFIDENTIAL 1l