No abstract

To assess worker isocyanate exposures in a variety of processes involving the manufacture and use of surface coatings, polyurethane foams, adhesives, resins, elastomers, binders, and sealants, it is important to be able to measure airborne reactive isocyanate-containing compounds. Choosing the correct methodology can be difficult. Isocyanate species, including monomers, prepolymers, oligomers, and polyisocyanates, are capable of producing irritation to the skin, eyes, mucous membranes, and respiratory tract. The most common adverse health effect is respiratory sensitization, and to a lesser extent dermal sensitization and hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Furthermore, isocyanate species formed during polyurethane production or thermal degradation may also produce adverse health effects. Isocyanate measurement is complicated by the fact that isocyanates may be in the form of vapors or aerosols of various particle size; the species of interest are reactive and therefore unstable; few pure analytical standards exist; and high analytical sensitivity is needed. There are numerous points in the sampling and analytical procedures at which errors can be introduced. The factors to be considered for selecting the most appropriate methodology for a given workplace include collection, derivatization, sample preparation, separation, identification, and quantification. This article discusses these factors in detail and presents a summary of method selection criteria based on the isocyanate species, its physical state, particle size, cure rate, and other factors.

No abstract

A comparison study of isocyanate sampling methods for 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) monomer and HDI-based polyisocyanates was conducted in spray painting environments. This study compared the performance of the Iso-chek sampler against existing and proposed National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) monitoring methods for HDI-based isocyanates. Six methods for monitoring HDI monomer and polyisocyanate levels were compared. Fifty-eight sampling sets were collected during spray painting of aircraft and aircraft parts at four U.S. Air Force bases. Impinger and cassette samplers were mounted side-by-side on a mannequin located in paint overspray areas. For HDI monomer sampling results, there were no significant differences between NIOSH 5521, NIOSH 5522, OSHA 42, MAP (the proposed NIOSH method), and the Iso-Chek. For HDI-based polyisocyanates, NIOSH 5522, NIOSH 5521, Iso-Chek, and the Total Aerosol Mass Method (TAMM) were significantly different from one another. There was no significant difference between MAP and the NIOSH 5522 polyisocyanate sampling results. This study suggests the Iso-Chek and MAP sampling methods compare favorably with established methods for monitoring in HDI spray painting environments and the Total Aerosol Mass Method provides a reasonable upper boundary for estimating HDI polyisocyanate concentrations. The results also reemphasize aerosol sampling physics and sampler geometries must be carefully considered and appropriate samplers used when measuring exposures in spray paint environments where particulates are of the inhalable size.

We measured the quartz content of 20 bulk settled dust and 200 respirable dust samples in a cross-sectional dust exposure assessment that is part of an epidemiological study to ascertain the risk of nonmalignant respiratory diseases among Zambian copper miners. Dust samples were collected from the copper mines of Mopani Copper Mine plc (Mufulira and Nkana Mines). Analytical measurements employed NIOSH Method 0600 for gravimetric analysis of respirable dust and NIOSH Method 7500 for quartz analysis in bulk and respirable dust samples. The measured quartz content of respirable dust showed that 59% and 26% of Mufulira and Nkana Mine samples, respectively, were above the calculated U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration permissible exposure limit. The mean intensities of respirable dust exposure at Mufulira and Nkana were 0.992 mg/m3 (range 0–7.674) and 0.868 mg/m3 (range 0–6.944), respectively while the mean intensities of respirable quartz at Mufulira and Nkana were 0.143 mg/m3 (range 0–1.302) and 0.060 mg/m3 (range 0–0.317), respectively. These results indicate weak dust monitoring at these mines which may increase the risk of nonmalignant disease in many miners. Since Zambian mining regulations do not have crystalline silica exposure limits, these results accord with the recommendation that Zambian mining houses and the government establish crystalline silica analysis laboratory capacity and adopt dust mass concentration occupational exposure limits for more protective dust monitoring of workers.