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Biomedical subjects

G E Burroughs

Publications and source records attributed to G E Burroughs.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

A field method for near real-time analysis of perchloroethylene in end-exhaled breath.

The field method for near real-time analysis of perchloroethylene (Perc) in breath is simple, fast, and reproducible for Perc breath analysis in field settings and should prove useful in industrial hygiene practice. The method allows Perc monitoring with good specificity to the sub-part per million (ppm) level within minutes of exposure. A commercially available, portable gas chromatograph with a photoionization detector was used in these analyses. Gas chromatograph settings were optimized in the laboratory for measurement of Perc in Tedlar bags. Laboratory development of the method included evaluation of the sensitivity, specificity, precision, and speed of analysis for Perc. Replicate aliquots of Perc at concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 100 ppm were used to construct a calibration curve. The mean retention time for Perc was 238 sec. The impact of potential interference by acetone, toluene, isoprene, methanol, ethanol, acetaldehyde, carbon tetrachloride, benzene, or chloroform was evaluated by mixing Perc with each compound and performing analyses. Measurements of Perc in human breath samples collected in Tedlar bags in a workplace setting were made and compared to measurements of the same samples made by an established analytical method using charcoal tubes (National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health [NIOSH] Method 1003). The accuracy, precision, and speed of the gas chromatograph method were determined. Measurements made with the new method were within a margin of +/- 8.8% (95% CI, n = 6) of measurements made according to NIOSH Method 1003 for field samples in the range of 0.9 to 6 ppm. Method precision was determined by calculating the pooled coefficient of variation for all measurements (replicates = 3) made in the field and was found to be 5.8%.

Automation↗
PubMed2000

Performance of industrial mist collectors over time.

Effective, economical control of metalworking fluid mists at the source is important, because exposure to these mists may cause adverse health effects. This study investigated performance changes over time for industrial collectors that removed metalworking fluid mist in the laboratory and in a transmission plant. Aerosizers were used to measure the efficiency of each stage in several multistage collectors as a function of mist droplet diameter, for up to one year of continuous operation. Metal-mesh, first-stage filters operated at low pressure drops and were effective at removing droplets larger than 3 to 5 microns in diameter. Some second-stage filters worked better than others. Both "65 percent" and "95 percent" cartridge filters failed after only a few weeks; their efficiencies decreased substantially over that time. Pocket filters and cylindrical cartridges used as second-stage filters also decreased in efficiency for submicron droplets. Whereas filters for solid particles load continuously to form a dust cake that increases efficiency, mist filters form no cake and load only to the point where collection equals drainage. As a mist filter loads, the interstitial gas velocity increases, so that efficiency decreases for small droplets that collect by diffusion. Although a third-stage 95 percent DOP filter showed important decreases in efficiency over time for submicron droplets, third-stage HEPA filters operated with efficiencies that consistently approaches 100 percent for droplets of all sizes, even after one year of operation. These results suggest that the performance of second-stage filters can be improved if they can be made to drain collected liquid more effectively. For high efficiency, mist collectors should use a HEPA filter as a final stage.

Aerosols↗
PubMed1998

Levels of carbon dioxide in helmet systems used during orthopaedic operations.

The use of isolation helmets has gained popularity as a method of possible protection of the operating-room personnel from diseases that can be transmitted during operative procedures. However, the use of these systems has been associated with a variety of symptoms, including fatigue, diaphoresis, nausea, headache, and irritability. These symptoms have often been attributed to the mental stress of the operative procedure or the physical discomfort of the helmet. As far as we know, no manufacturers include the measured levels of carbon dioxide or the rate of air exchange of their helmet system. A possible common cause of discomfort with helmet systems is the level of carbon dioxide to which the person wearing the device is exposed. We measured the levels of carbon dioxide in four helmet systems from three different manufacturers during light exercise designed to approximate the exertion during an orthopaedic operation. All but one unit failed to meet the exposure limits recommended by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration regarding exposure to carbon dioxide. One unit, the Stackhouse Freedom Aire self-contained system, did meet these standards, but the levels of carbon dioxide in this helmet were more than 1000 per cent greater than the ambient levels in air (440 parts per million compared with 4939 parts per million). Isolation systems must be evaluated carefully not only for comfort but also for the physiological effects caused by exposure to elevated levels of carbon dioxide. Operating-room personnel who use such systems should be aware that many of the physical symptoms that they experience may be associated with elevated levels of carbon dioxide.

Carbon Dioxide↗
PubMed1995

On-site screening for benzene in complex environments.

A technique is described for on-site screening of workplace atmospheres for benzene in the presence of many potentially interfering substances. The technique allows benzene monitoring with reasonable specificity at the part per million (ppm) level in confined spaces. A commercially available portable gas chromatograph (GC), shown in the laboratory to be capable of resolving benzene from a complex mixture of hydrocarbons, was compared in the field with other portable GCs, sorbent tube samples, and detector tubes. During three field evaluations samples were collected in Tedlar bags, which allowed replicate, on-site analyses by up to three portable gas chromatographs and three types of detector tubes. Additionally, replicate samples were collected from each bag onto charcoal tubes for subsequent laboratory analysis by capillary column flame ionization gas chromatography and by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The portable GCs resolved samples to the extent that an integratable response with the retention time of benzene was seen. In some samples this response was not due solely to the presence of benzene, but such instances would overestimate the concentration and provide a more conservative result. The portable GCs had a total analysis time of less than 10 minutes and detected concentrations of benzene below the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's permissible exposure limit of 1 ppm (in most samples, below 0.1 ppm, although the limit of quantitation was matrix dependent). While benzene concentration measurements using detector tubes were less precise, they agreed in almost every instance with the other techniques regarding whether the space was within the 1 ppm "safe for entry" concentration.

Air Pollutants, Occupational↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Mist control at a machining center, Part 2: Mist control following installation of air cleaners.

At a machining center used to produce transaxle and transmission parts, aerosol instrumentation was used to quantitatively evaluate size-dependent mist generation of a synthetic metalworking fluid (MWF) consisting primarily of water and triethanolamine (TEA). This information was used to select an air cleaner for controlling the mist. During most machining operations, the MWF was flooded over the part. These machining operations were performed in a nearly complete enclosure that was exhausted to an air cleaner consisting of three sections: a fall-out chamber, a trifilter section to capture metal chips and mist, and a 1.13 m3/sec (2400 ft3/min) blower. The partnering company requested that National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) researchers perform an evaluation of the effectiveness of a commercially available air cleaner. After NIOSH researchers characterized mist generation at the machining centers and found that performance of a test air cleaner appeared to be suitable, the company installed more than 25 air cleaners on different machining centers in this plant and enclosed the corresponding fluid filtration unit. The facility also has implemented a maintenance program for the air cleaners that involves regularly scheduled filter changes; performance is ensured by monitoring static pressure. A NIOSH-conducted air sampling evaluation showed that area TEA concentrations were reduced from a geometric mean of 0.25 to 0.03 mg/m3. Personal total particulate concentrations were reduced from a geometric mean of 0.22 to 0.06 mg/m3. These results show the effectiveness of this combination of enclosure, ventilation, and filtration to greatly reduce the exposure to MWF mist generated in modern machining centers.

Aerosols↗