Abstract

Styrene is an organic solvent with widely recognized toxicity. Québec companies manufacturing rubber, plastic and fibreglass products must cope with the problems caused by styrene emissions. In this project, styrene detectors developed previously will be refined and their optimal placement validated in workplaces. Networked detectors were installed in three Québec factories, in locations which took into account the factories' production flows. The choice of corrective measures (ventilation, purification, evacuation, alarm) to reduce excessive styrene concentrations is influenced by the reliability of the detection module circuitry and the interdependence of the detectors. This gas-detection and data-processing technology could be subsequently applied to other toxic substances in industrial workplaces.