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Biomedical subjects

Stephen B Martin

Publications and source records attributed to Stephen B Martin.

3 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Evaluation of a high-efficiency, filter-bank system.

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) investigators evaluated filtration efficiencies at three U.S. Postal Service (USPS) facilities. Ventilation and filtration systems (VFSs) had been installed after the 2001 bioterrorist attacks when the USPS unknowingly processed letters laden with B. anthracis spores. The new VFS units included high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters and were required by USPS contract specifications to provide an overall filtration efficiency of at least 99.97% for particles between 0.3 microm and 3.0 micro m. The USPS evaluation involved a modification of methodology used to test total filtration system efficiency in agricultural tractor cab enclosures. The modified sampling strategy not only proved effective for monitoring the total filtration system component of VFS performance but also distinguished between filtration systems performing to the high USPS performance criteria and those needing repair or replacement. The results clearly showed the importance of choosing a pair of optical particle counters that have been closely matched immediately prior to testing. The modified methodology is readily adaptable to any workplace wishing to evaluate air filtration systems, including high-efficiency systems.

Air Pollution, Indoor↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Environmental agricultural tractor cab filter efficiency and field evaluation.

To evaluate filter efficiency and performance of environmental enclosures for tractors, 3- to 4-year-old tractor enclosure combinations (cabs retrofitted to tractors after manufacturing) were studied at a custom pesticide applicators facility. Optical particle counters were used to measure the aerosol number concentration inside and outside the cab. The ratio of these concentrations multiplied by 100 is termed percentage penetration, the amount of the aerosol that penetrates into the enclosure. For particles in the 0.3 to 0.4 microm range, penetration into the cab was reduced from 11 to 0.4% in the following sequential steps. First, manufacturing mistakes were corrected by fixing a bowed flange and inappropriate sealing of the sheet metal used to separate incoming air from air that had passed through the filter. This reduced aerosol penetration from 11 to 4.8%. Replacing gasket material on the used filter reduced penetration from 4.8 to 0.65%. This suggests that the filter gaskets are deforming and allowing leakage. Also, the filter media were evaluated for aerosol penetration as a function of particle size and were tested per the criteria stipulated in 42 CFR 84 for negative pressure air-purifying particulate respirators. These results showed penetration through the filter media of less than 0.03%, indicating that filter media were not a major source of aerosol leakage into the cab. The results suggest that the manufacturer should implement a quality control program to ensure that minimal aerosol penetration criteria into the cabs are met and an acceptable maintenance program exists to ensure compliance. Furthermore, the degradation of filter gasket material over time needs to be minimized to ensure that the environmental cabs continue to provide acceptable performance.

Agriculture↗