Industrial Hygiene

Science devoted to the identification, evaluation

and control of Occupational conditions that
causes sickness and injuries.
Industrial Hygienist will
 monitoring toxic airborne vapor concentration
 reducing vapors through the use of ventilation
 selecting proper PPE
 procedure for the handling of hazardous materials
 monitoring and reducing noise, heat,radiaton etc..
Threshold Limit Values (TLV) or Maximum
Allowable Concentration (MAC)
Airborne concentration that corresponds to conditions
under which NO adverse effects are normally expected
during a worker’s lifetime.
TLV type Definition
TLV-TWA Time weighted average for a normal 8-hr workday, to
which nearly all workers can be exposed, day after day,
without adverse effects
TLV-STEL Short-term exposure limit. The maximum concentration
to which workers can be exposed for a period of up to
15 minutes continuously without suffering intolerable
irritation, chronic tissue change, materially reduce
worker efficiency.

TLV-C Ceiling Limit. The concentration that should not be

exceeded, even instantaneously
 Example
• Air contains 5 ppm of diethylamine (TLV-TWA
of 5 ppm), 20 ppm of cyclohexanol (TLV-TWA
of 50 ppm), and 10 ppm of propylene oxide
(TLV-TWA of 2 ppm). What is the mixture TLV-
TWA and has this level been exceeded?
 Exposure to Dusts
Particle size range : 0.2 – 0.5 µm (hazard to lungs)

Estimate the concentration of dust particle .

Identical to estimation of volatile vapors except

instead ppm using mg/m3 or mppcf (millions of
particle per cubic foot)
 Example
Determine the TLV for a uniform mixture of
dusts containing the following particles:
dBA is used instead of ppm and hours of exposure is used instead of concentration
 Example
Determine whether the following noise level is
permissible with no additional control features:
 Example
An open toluene container in an enclosure is
weighed as a function of time, and it is
determined that the average evaporation rate is
0.1 g/min. The ventilation rate is 100 ft3/min.
The temperature is 80°F and the pressure is 1
atm. Estimate the concentration of toluene
vapor in the enclosure, and compare your
answer to the TLV for toluene of 50 ppm.
 Example
A large open tank with a 5-ft diameter contains
toluene. Estimate the evaporation rate from this
tank assuming a temperature of 77°F and a
pressure of 1 atm. If the ventilation rate is 3000
ft3/min, estimate the concentration of toluene
in this workplace enclosure.
Splash Filling Sub surface or Dip pipe or
Dip leg Filling
 Example
Railroad cars are being splash-filled with
toluene. The 10,000-gal cars are being filled at
the rate of one every 8 hr. The filling hole in the
tank car is 4 in. in diameter. Estimate the
concentration of toluene vapor as a result of this
filling operation. The ventilation rate is
estimated at 3000 ft3/min. The temperature is
77°F and the pressure is 1 atm.
 Control Technique
2 major control technique

Environmental
Reducing the concentration of toxicants in the
workplace environment. eg. Local ventilation, dilution
ventilation, wet methods and good house keeping
Personal
Reduces the exposure by providing barrier between
worker and environment. eg. Hard hat, safety
glasses,goggles,PVC gloves.,etc..
Fume Hoods
 Situations
When handling chemicals with significant inhalation hazards
such as toxic gases, toxic chemical vapors, volatile radioactive
material, and respirable toxic powders

When carrying out experimental procedures with strong

exothermic reactions

When handling chemicals with significant vapor pressure

When chemical vapors generated could cause a fire hazard

When working with compounds that have an offensive odor

 Hood
• Advantages:
– Completely eliminate exposure to workers
– Require minimal air flow
– Provide a containment device in the event of fire and
explosion
• Disadvantages
– Limit workspace
– Can be used for small, bench-scale or pilot plant
 Safety Wear
• Goggles
– Wear appropriate safety glasses, goggles, or face shields at
all times where chemicals are stored or handled.
• Gloves
– The proper gloves will prevent skin absorption, infection or
burns.
• Lab Coat or Apron
– Wear a lab coat or apron, cover legs and feet (no sandals
or open-toed shoes)
 Quiz-2
Benzene and toluene form an ideal liquid mixture. A mixture composed of 50 mol % benzene is
used in a chemical plant. The temperature is 80°F, and the pressure is 1 atm.
a. Determine the mixture TLV.
b. Determine the evaporation rate per unit area for this mixture.
c. A drum with a 2-in-diameter bung is used to contain the mixture. Determine the ventilation
rate required to maintain the vapor concentration below the TLV. The ventilation quality
within the vicinity of this operation is average.
 Example
The TLV-TWA for a substance is 150 ppm. A worker begins
a work shift at 8 AM and completes the shift at 5 PM. A
one-hour lunch break is included between 12 noon and 1
PM, when it can be assumed that no exposure to the
chemical occurs. The data were taken in the work area at
the times indicated. Has the worker exceeded the TLV
specification?
 Example
Spill containment should be provided when transporting chemicals in a laboratory. A 2-liter
bottle of tetrahydrofuran (THF) (C4H8O) must be transported from a laboratory storage cabinet
to a hood. If an accident occurs and the container is broken, the THF will form an evaporating
pool, resulting in a vapor concentration within the lab. Consider two accident scenarios:
a. The THF is transferred without any containment. Assume that upon breakage of the
container a pool of 1-cm depth is formed. Estimate the vapor concentration in the
laboratory in ppm.
b. The THF is transferred using a tray with dimensions of 15 cm × 15 cm. If the container
breaks, a pool will form completely within the container. Estimate the vapor
concentration in the laboratory in ppm.
c. Compare the two values. Based on the equations, how does the vapor concentration
scale with the area of the pool, that is, linear, quadratic, etc.? What recommendation
can you make with respect to the size of the tray?
Assume that the temperature is 25°C and the pressure is 1 atm. Also assume a ventilation rate
of 0.5 m3/s in the laboratory.
For THF the following properties are available:
 Example
An open vessel of 1 m in diameter and 2 m tall is being
splash-filled with ethyl acetate (C4H8O2) liquid. The vessel
takes 30 min to fill. The local ventilation rate is 0.50 m3/s.
a. Estimate the local concentration (in ppm) of ethyl
acetate. Compare to the TLV.
b. Estimate the local concentration (in ppm) if the vessel is
covered with a flat metal sheet and the filling is done
through a 5-cm diameter hole. Compare to the TLV.
c. Which filling method do you recommend and why?
For both cases T = 25°C and the ambient pressure is 1
atm. The specific gravity of the ethyl acetate is 0.90.
Questions?
Thank you and have a great day!