Document b5Qkb6agmeDd5Jpaxg55O09Q3

MICHIGAN DIVISION INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE REPORT DOW CHEMICAL U.S.A. AN OPERATING UNIT OP THE OOw CHCMfCAl COMPANY DEPARTMENT Industrial Hygiene Services LABORATORY REPORT CODE HEH2.1-1-201(10) DATE ISSUEO Auqust 2 7, 1981 ACCOUNT NO PROBLEM NUMBER TITLE EVALUATION OF AIRBORNE CONCENTRATIONS OF VINYL CHLORIDE DURING SARAN AND CONVERTED PRODUCT RESEARCH OPERATIONS IN THE MICHIGAN DIVISION DESIGN LATEX AND RESINS RESEARCH TO-GALLON REACTOR, 1604 BUILDING AUTHOR(irsiGNATui5^ '~ C. Vaughn, Jr and J. Iy-Rodammer (kfii flM&TniTnii! S/^s/sr/ REVIEWER'S SIGNATURE / 30 W G. S, Dickson Ga)3i f Si DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY WITH COltfiLUSibNS An industrial hygiene survey was conducted on June 12-19, 1981, to evaluate ow u> -4 IO P* employees' exposures to vinyl chloride during Saran and Converted Product Research operations in the Michigan Division Design Latex and Resins Research 10-gallon reactor, 1604 Building. Personal, area and excursion samples indicated that exposures encountered by operating personnel were well within current acceptable guidelines. If r. yi-g,rigany WosSioni District ofNeew York DISTRIBUTION A. M. Hart, 566 Building A. T. Graham, 1603 Building M. J. Mintz, 1604 Building *R. R. Langner, 2030 Building *P. J. Brownson, 607 Building technology Center Admin., 2030 Building U.S. Area Industrial Hygiene: Bohl/Branson/Cook/Dombrowski/Rampy/Schneider P. T. Delassus, 1603 Building B. E. Burgert, 1603 Building R. A. Olson, 322 Building *R. L. Dostal, 1803 Building ^Industrial Hygiene Contacts U. S. Area Industrial Hygiene Files *Cover sheet only. >Hlin ft-60 RESTRICTED: for u*a within the Dow Chemical Company only. R&S 039725 2- - 337 PURPOSE Waiter:! DL af.'iayj 1c;k As part of the Michigan Division Research and Development's industrial hygiene program, a survey was conducted to determine employees' exposures to vinyl chloride at the Saran and Converted Product Research Section, 1604 Building, while using the Design Latex and Resins Research 10-gallon reactor. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 1. Employees' eight-hour time-weighted average exposures to vinyl chloride were well within current industrial hygiene guidelines. 2. Work area concentrations and excursion (short-term task) exposures to vinyl chloride were within current acceptable guidelines. 3. Small concentrations of vinyl chloride were found in the area outside the hood, therefore, it is recommended that a complete hood evaluation be made. 4. It is recommended that a new pipeline route to transport the vinyl chloride to the reactor be explored to eliminate unnecessary joints in the system which are susceptible to leaks. EVALUATION CRITERIA Dow Industrial Hygiene Guides (IHGs) are concentrations of airborne substances to which nearly all employees may be repeatedly exposed throughout a working lifetime without adverse effect. IHGS are established by the health professionals of the Dow Industrial Health Board for chemicals (raw materials, intermediates, by-products, wastes, and products) handled within the Dow Chemical Company. Published exposure criteria are available for many industrial chemicals; examples include the Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) of the ACGIH (American Conference of American National Standards Institute, and the OSHA standards of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the United States Department of Labor. For most of these chemicals, the Industrial Health Board has adopted the published expousre criteria as the Dow IHGs. In a few instances the IHG set by the Industrial Health Board differs from the published exposure criteria. In establishing IHGs for chemicals which lack published exposure criteria, the Industrial Health Board considers toxicological information, occupational exposure data, and medical experience. FORM M-7|30 PRINTED **Q RESTRICTED: for use within The Dow Chemical Company only.* ^" - ,* , -3- PrcdL'c^^ d,,-, JGHf Industrial Hygiene Guides do not represent fine 1ines between safe and dangerous exposures. As the name indicates, IHGs are properly used as guides for plant design and for evaluating occupational exposures. IHGs for gases and vapors are usually expressed in parts per million (ppm, volume/volume); for dusts, fumes, aerosols, and mists, IHGs are usually expressed in milligrams of contaminant per cubic meter of air (mg/nr). Most IHGs are time weighted average (TWA) concentrations for an 8-12 hour workday and a 40 hour workweek. Limited excursion exposures to concentrations exceeding the IHG are permitted, provided that the TWA exposure for the entire workday is acceptable and the consequences of exposure, within the excursion limit, are minimal and reversible. For most chemicals, excursion limits are calculated from the IHGs and the excursion factors recommended by the ACGIH. Ceiling IHGs are assigned to those materials which cause significant or irreversible effects at concentrations exceeding the IHG. For these chemicals, no excursion exposures are allowed. The following exposure criteria currently apply to the airborne contaminants measured during this survey: Compound or Material IHG Excursion Limit Vinyl Chloride 1 5 When the results of an industrial hygiene survey indicate a need to reduce exposure, control measures should be implemented. Traditional engineering control methods include containment, isolation, substitution, local exhaust ventilation, general ventilation, and change of operating procedures. Administrative control, limiting exposure time through remote control or job rotation, may also be effective. Personal protective equipment may be used to protect employees only as a last alternative when none of the preceding control methods is feasible or until control measures can be effected. R&S 039726 SAMPLING AND ANALYTICAL METHODS Vinyl chloride samples were obtained by pulling a known amount of air through glass tubes containing one gram of Pittsburgh Coconut Base (PCB) charcoal, using battery-operated pumps. The chemical was adsorbed by the charcoal. Air flow rates ranging from 96 cc/minute to 102 cc/minute were used for the personal and area TWA samples. The excursion (short-term task) sample was collected at an air flow rate of 2.6 liters per minute. The analytical evaluation was done by A. Hawkins and reported in AL 81-50335. The samples were desorbed using dry ice chilled carbon disulfide and analyzed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. FORM M-47150 PRINTED -10 RESTRICTED: for use within The Dow Chemical Company only.' -4- DISCUSSION Airborne concentrations of vinyl chloride were measured on June 12-19, 1981, during Saran and Converted Product Research operations in the Designed Latex and Resins Research 10-gallon reactor. The 10-gallon reactor is surrounded by a large walk-in hood, which has not been given a complete evaluation. This unit is computerized allowing operating personnel to greatly minimize their exposure to any chemicals being used inside the hood. Vinyl chloride was piped into the reactor through a pipeline which leads to an outside vinyl chloride cylinder. This pipeline contains three pipe joints. Prior to actual reactor opertions the pipe joints of the vinyl chloride pipeline were checked and found to be leaking small amounts of vinyl chloride. These joints were retightened and no other leaks were detected, at that time. The operator wore monogoggles, rubber gloves and a laboratory coat while operating inside the hood. No respiratory protection was used and only one hood door was opened at a time. Personal, excursion and area exposures to vinyl chloride were within acceptable guidelines. (Tables 1 and 2). Small amounts of vinyl chloride were detected during reactor operations in the work area around the 10-gallon reactor hood. (See table 2). Since this was the only operation in 1604 Building's development area which used vinyl chloride, these small concentrations of vinyl chloride could have been generated by the following: 1. The 10-gallon reactor's hood doors could have not been correctly closed by operating personnel. 2. A small vinyl chloride leak could have developed in the pipe joints of the vinyl chloride pipeline. 3. The 10-gallon reactor hood does not.have the ability to contain the the vapors of vinyl chloride. As a result of this suvey, both of these systems require some reevaluation. ' ' v'` '-1'.."!=; t'rndiiCKi Pursuant : -V. ij-mi R&S 039727 90 PRINTED *0 RESTRICTED: for use within The Dow Chemical Company only.' RESTRICTED: fo r u*e w ithin Th Dow Chemical Company o n ly / Table 1. RESULTS OF PERSONAL AND EXCURSION MONITORING FOR VINYL CHLORIDE DURING SARAN AND CONVERTED PRODUCTS RESEARCH OPERATIONS IN THE MICHIGAN DIVISION DESIGN LATEX AND RESINS RESEARCH 10-GALLON REACTOR, 1604 BUILDING, JUNE 1981 PERSONAL SAMPLES Job Classification, Activity, Employee Master Number and Date Laboratory Technician: Process operating normally, #22860, 6/12/81 Process operating normally, #22860, 6/17/81 Process operating normally, #22860, 6/19/81 EXCURSION SAMPLE* Sample Description Employee Master Number and Date' Breathing zone sample unloading reactor, #73106, 6/17/81 INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE GUIDE EXCURSION LIMIT Sample Duration (Minutes) 316 453 469 Sample Duration (Minutes) 8.96 Respirator Worn Concentration, ppm (Volume/Volume Air) Vinyl Chloride No ND(0.07) No ND(0.05) No ND{0.05) Respirator Worn No Concentration, ppm (Volume/Volume Air) Vinyl Chloride 0.14 -] '.5 ND = Not detected at analytical sensitivity indicated in parenthesis. *Excursion sample of vinyl chloride not averaged over a 15 minute period. 82Z6S0 S3d ' t 1' 1 s RESTRICTED: fo r uta w ithin The Dow Chemical Company only.' 0 Table 2. RESULTS OF WORK AREA MONITORING FOR VINYL CHLORIDE DURING SARAN AND CONVERTED PRODUCTS RESEARCH OPERATIONS IN THE MICHIGAN DIVISION DESIGN LATEX AND RESINS RESEARCH 1O-GALLON REACTOR, 1604 BUILDING, JUNE 1981 2 Hn Sample Description Date Sample Time (Minutes) Concentration, ppm (Volume/Volume) Vinyl Chloride North end of hood 06/12/81 301 0.18 South end of hood 06/12/81 264 ND(0.10) North end of hood 06/17/81 443 0.37 South end of hood 06/17/81 443 0.39 North end of hood 06/19/81 468 ND(0.06) South end of hood 06/19/81 468 0.22 INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE GUIDE 1 EXCURSION LIMIT 5 >j ND = Not detected at analytical sensitivity indicated in parenthesis. o ip U LCOO Q- meeo ssu