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n-Butylamine – determination method
Wojciech Domański
This method is based on the adsorption of n-butylamine vapours on silica gel, desorption with water, alkalization of the obtained solution with sodium hydroxide, adsorption of n-butylamine vapours with the HS/SPME method and determination with gas chromatography with an NPD detector.
The determination limit of this method in the air sample is 0.2 mg/m³.
Diethylamine – determination methods
Barbara Romanowicz, Jan P. Gromiec
This method is based on adsorption of diethylamine vapours on silica gel. The collected compound is desorbed with a sulfuric acid-methanol aqueous solution. The desorbed sample is alcalized with a potas-sium hydroxide solution and analyzed with gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID).
The determination limit of this method is 1.5 mg/m³.
Formamide – determination method
Wioletta Markiewicz, Jan P. Gromiec
This method is based on the adsorption of formamide vapours on silica gel, desorption with methanol and gas chromatographic (GC-FID) analysis of the resulting solution.
The determination limit of this method is 2.25 mg/m³.
Glyphosate – determination method
Sławomir Brzeźnicki, Marzena Bonczarowska
Air samples are collected by drawing a known volume of air through glass fiber filters. Glyphosate is desorbed with 0,025 M borate buffer, derivatized by means of 9-fluorenylmethyl chloroformate (FMOCCL) and analyzed by high performance chromatography using ultraviolet (λ = 260 nm) or fluorimetric detection ((λex = 260 nm i λem = 310 nm).
The working range of the analytical method is from 0.1 to 20 μg/ml (0.1 ÷ 20 mg/m³ for 100 l air sample).
Methylamine – determination method
Wojciech Domański
This method is based on the adsorption of methylamine vapours on silica gel, desorption with water, alkalization of the obtained solution with sodium hydroxide, adsorption of methylamine vapours with the SPME/HS method and its determination with gas chromatography with an NPD detector.
The determination limit of this method in the air sample is 0.6 mg/m³.
Sevoflurane – determination method
Małgorzata Kucharska, Wiktor Wesołowski
This method is based on the adsorption of sevoflurane on petroleum charcoal, desorption with toluene and gas chromatographic (GC-MSD) analysis of the resulting solution.
The determination limit of this method is 2 mg/m³.
1,2,3-Trichlorpropane – determination method
Barbara Romanowicz
This method is based on the adsorption of 1,2,3-trichlorpropane vapours on activated charcoal. Samples are desorbed with of carbon disulfide and analyzed with gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID).
The determination limit of this method is 0.6 mg/m³.
Trimethylamine – determination method
Wojciech Domański
The method is based on the adsorption of trimethylamine vapours on silica gel, desorption with water alkalized obtained solution with sodium hydroxide, adsorption of methylamine vapours SPME/HS method and its determination by gas chromatography with alkali-flame-ionization detector.
The determination limit of the method in the air sample is 2 mg/m³.
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Chlorine. Documentation
Krystyna Sitarek
Under normal conditions of temperature and pressure chlorine is greenish gas. Chlorine reacts with most organic and inorganic compounds. The major man-made source of chlorine is the electrolysis of chlorine salts. Chlorine is use as an oxidizing or a chlorinating agent in chemical processes, and as a disinfectant or bleaching agent. CL50 for rats and mice is 850 and 397 mg/m³ respectively after an inhalation of 1 h. Effects of chronic low-level chlorine human exposure are similar to those concerning the sequel of acute inhalation.
Chlorine gas is a respiratory irritant in humans and animals. Accidental exposure of humans to high concentrations of chlorine for short periods can result in bronchoconstriction, cough, dyspnea and respiratory tract ulceration, and hemorrhage.
Carcinogenic classification – IARC, group 3-not classifiable as to carcinogenicity to humans; ACGIH – A4 – not classifiable as a human carcinogen.
ACGIH recommended for occupational exposure to chlorine TWA 1.5 mg/m³, STEL 2.9 mg/m³. The SCOEL proposed as a STEL 1.5 mg/m³.
The Expert Group recommended a TWA 0.7 mg/m³, STEL 1.5 mg/m3 and notation “I” (irritant agent).
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Chloroethane. Documentation
Andrzej Starek
Chloroethane is a colorless gas with an ethereal, somewhat pungent odor and burning taste. It is highly flammable and a severe fire and explosion risk. Chloroethane has been used in the manufacture of tetraethyl lead, ethylcellulose, dyes, drugs, and perfumes. It also has been used as a solvent for fats, oils, waxes, and many resins, a propellant, an anesthetic, in refrigeration, and in the formulation of insecticides.
Chloroethane in the gas phase may cause irritation of the eyes and respiratory tract, and is a narcotic. Inhalation of high concentrations of this chemical leads to death by respiratory paralysis or cardiac and circulatory failure because chloroethane sensitizes the heart to adrenaline. The asystole is preceded by arrhythmia, extrasystoles or ventricular fibrillation. Chloroethane can damage the liver (fatty degeneration, cloudy swelling) and also, less frequently, the kidneys.
Only few short-term tests for mutagenicity have been carried out; the results were positive in some cases, negative in others. A carcinogenicity study in which only one very high concentration of chloroethane was tested revealed significantly increased tumor incidences especially in female mice. The reproductive organs were not affected following subchronic inhalation exposures to chloroethane. Exposures to mice at high concentrations of chloroethane during organogenesis produced no teratogenic effects. The presence of a few small unossified areas in the skull bones suggested very slight fetotoxicity.
The MAC (TWA) value was calculated on the basis of NOAEL value (for an increase in the relative liver weigh) in mice and rats exposed to chloroethane at 0 ÷ 50 900 mg/m³ for 13 weeks. The obligatory MAC (TWA) value in Poland at the level of 200 mg/m³ was proposed. Skin (“Sk”) notation is recommended. No STEL and BAI values have been proposed.
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Dichloromethane. Documentation
Małgorzata Kupczewska-Dobecka, Renata Soćko
Dichloromethane (DCM) is a colorless volatile liquid. It has widely used as a solvent in paint removers, as a solvent for plastics, as a degreasing agent, in propellant mixtures for aerosol containers, and as a blowing agent in foams.
Inhalation of dichloromethane has been fatal is some cases. Deaths were due to CNS depression. Workers reported headaches, dizziness, disturbance of sleep, fatigue, and psychotic changes. Adverse neurobehavioral effects have been observed in small groups of subjects following exposure at 353 mg/m³.
Exposure to dichloromethane has been associated with liver and lung cancer in mice and with benign mammary gland tumors in rats after chronic inhalation of high concentration. Epidemiologic studies were insufficient to confirm an increased risk of cancer in exposed humans. Reviews of dichloromethane genotoxicity have generally concluded that there is clear evidence of its mutagenicity in bacteria. DCM was clastogenic in mammalian cells in vitro.
Short-term exposure to dichloromethane has been well correlated with elevation of carboxyhemoglobin level.
New value of maximum admissible concentration (MAC-NDS) of 88 mg/m³ was set for dichloromethane. It is four times higher than the former 20 mg/m³ value, which was valid in Poland for 20 years. The short term exposure limit (STEL) value shall no longer be specified. Concentration of dichloromethane in urine determined at the end of work shift is proposed as a specific index of dichloromethane exposure. Dichloromethane inhalation exposure at maximum admissible concentration of 88 mg/m³ corresponds to biological exposure index (BEI) of 0.15 mg DCM/l urine.
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The activity of the Interdepartmental Commission for Maximum Admissible Concentrations and Intensities for Agents Harmful to Health in the Working Environment in 2007
Jolanta Skowroń
In 2007 the Commission met at three sessions, in which 18 documentations for recommended exposure limits of chemical substances were discussed. Moreover the Commission discussed:
assessment of workers’ exposure to hot and cold microclimate,
verification of maximum admissible intensities (MAI) values of electromagnetic fields according to Directive 2004/40/CE,
the proposed change in the MAI value for infrasonic noise.
The Commission suggested to the Minister of Labour and Social Policy the following changes in the list of MAC values:
• putting 3 new chemical substances on the list of MAC values: 1-bromopropane, benzyl butyl phthalate and toluene diisocyanate (mixture isomers);
• changing MAC values for 11 chemical substances: chromium (metal), chromium (II) compounds (as Cr), chromium (III) compounds (as Cr), hexamethylene diisocyaniate, toluene-2,4-diisocyaniate, toluene-2,6-diisocyaniate, sulphur dioxide, ethylene oxide, ethyl benzene, p-phenylenediamine, 1,2,3,4,5,6–hexachlorocyclohexane, nitrobenzene, mercury – vapors and its inorganic compounds (as Hg). The documentations for 4 substances will be discussed again in 2008.
• changing MAI values for electromagnetic fields,
• changing the criteria of classification for hot and cold microclimate and the regulation of the frequen-cy of research and of the measurement of those agents in the working environment.
Four issues of “Principles and Methods of Assessing the Working Environment” were published in 2007. They contained 14 methods of assessing the working environment and 23 documentations for recom-mended exposure limits along with analytical procedures, recommendations in respect to pre-employment and periodic medical examinations and contraindications to exposure. Issue 2 (52) contained an article entitled “Criteria for assessment of occupational exposure to dangerous pharmaceutical substances”. “REACH – a new EU regulation that increases chemical safety” and “Carcinogenic and mutagenic agents in Polish and EU legal regulations” were published in 3 (53) and 4 (54), respectively.
Three sessions of the Commission are planned for 2008. MAC values for 20 chemical substances, organic animal and plant dusts and verification of MAI for optical radiation will be discussed at those meetings.
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