Respiratory protection: Chemical cartridge service-life assessment in the workplace

Abstract

Because workers exposed to toxic solvents have no way of ascertaining the service life of the chemical cartridges with which their respiratory protection equipment is equipped, they must rely entirely upon their senses of smell and taste to detect contaminants. A previous laboratory study developed a method which uses a simple formula or a graph to determine the service life of cartridges in the presence of any given contaminant concentration.

The current project focused on the on-site evaluation of cartridge service life. For binary mixtures, the service-lives of cartridges determined in the field were within 10% of values predicted from laboratory studies. The projet's results also helped clarify the mechanisms underlying contaminant retention on activated carbon, and led to the development of a theoretical model which predicts the service-life of cartridges exposed to binary mixtures of solvents.

Produced Under this Project

Scientific Reports

The service life of filter cartridges with binary mixtures of contaminants Research Report: R-065

Scientific Publications

A theoretical interpretation of the service life of respirator cartridges for the binary cartridges acetone/m-xylene system
Yoon Y. H., Nelson J. H., Lara J., Kamel C., Frégeau D.
Source :
American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal, vol. 52, 1991, p. 65-74
Respiratory protection: Comparing standards in a global economy
Lara J., Smith S.
Source :
Occupational Health & Safety Canada, vol. 10, no 7, 1994, p. 14-23
Respiratory protection: The test of time: Take two
Lara J., Yoon Y. H., Nelson J. H.
Source :
Occupational Health & Safety Canada, vol. 9, p. 16-24, janvier 1994
The service life of respirator cartridges with binary mixtures of organic
Lara J., Yoon Y. H., Nelson J. H.
Source :
Journal of the International Society for Respiratory Protection, vol. 13, 1995, p. 7-26
Protection respiratoire : nouvelles exigences réglementaires
Gauvin J.-P., Lara J.
Source :
Travail et santé, vol. 11, no 1, mai 1995, p. 22-23
A theoretical model for respirator cartridge service life for binary systems: application to acetone / styrene mixtures
Yoon Y. H., Nelson J. H., Lara J., Kamel C., Frégeau D.
Source :
American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal, vol. 53, 1992, p. 493-502
Estimation de la durée de vie des cartouches adsorbantes pour l’acétone et le styrène à l’aide d’un outil informatique simple
Drolet D., Lara J.
Source :
in Congrès de l'Association québécoise pour l'hygiène, la santé et la sécurité du travail / AQHSST, (19e : 28-30 mai, 1997 : Jonquière, Canada), 1997
The service life of chemical cartridges. Laboratory vs field testing
Lara J., Kamel C., Drolet D.
Source :
in Third scandinavian symposium on protective clothing against chemicals and other health risks (September 1989 : Gausdal, Norvège), 1989, p. 107-120
Détermination des caractéristiques d'adsorption du charbon actif d'un mélange binaire acétone-styrène
Lara J., Kamel C., Lafond R., Drolet D., Frégeau D.
Source :
in 57e congrès de l'Association canadienne-française pour l'avancement des sciences / ACFAS, (57e : 15-19 mai, 1989 : Montréal, Canada), 1989
Respirator Cartridge Service-Life: Exposure to mixtures
Yoon Y. H., Nelson J. H., Lara J.
Source :
American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal, vol. 57, no 9, 1996, p. 809-819
Chemical cartridges : the test of time
Lara J., Lafond R.
Source :
Occupational Health & Safety Canada, 1987, vol. 3, no 6, p. 16-19
Respirator Cartridge Service Life for Mixtures
Yoon Y. H., Nelson J. H., Lara J.
Source :
in American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition (May, 20-26, 1995 : Kansas City, Missouri), 1995
Respiratory Cartridge Service Life for Ternary and Quaternary Organic Mixtures
Yoon Y. H., Nelson J. H., Lara J.
Source :
in American Industrial Hygiene Conference & Exposition (May 21-27, 1994 : Anaheim, California), 1994
A theoretical model for respirator cartridge service life for mixtures
Yoon Y. H., Nelson J. H., Lara J.
Source :
in American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition / AIHCE (May 15-21, 1993 : New Orleans, Louisiana), 1993
Respiratory protection in the laboratory
Lara J., Yoon Y. H.
Source :
in Labex Conference & Exposition, (December 11-12, 1991 : Toronto, Canada), 1991
The Service Life of Respirator Cartridges in Complex Atmospheres
Lara J., Yoon Y. H.
Source :
in 5th Conference of the International Society for Respiratory Protection (November 4-7, 1991 : Winchester, Royaume-Uni), 1991
A theoretical interpretation of the service life of respirator cartridges in the binary acetone-styrene system
Yoon Y. H., Lara J., Nelson J. H.
Source :
in American Industrial Hygiene Conference, (May 1990 : Orlando, Florida), 1990
The service life time of chemical cartridges in the acetone-styrene system
Lara J., Kamel C., Frégeau D.
Source :
in American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition / AIHCE, (May 1989 : St-Louis, Missouri, USA), 1989 p. 71
Chemical cartridge efficiency studies
Kamel C., Frégeau D., Lara J.
Source :
in LABEX 89 Conference and Exposition, (Octobre 1989 : Montréal, Canada), 1989
Les appareils de protection respiratoire de type filtrant : La durée de vie des filtres en présence de contaminants multiples
Lara J.
Source :
in Congrès de l'Association pour l'hygiène industrielle au Québec / AHIQ (16e : 4-6 mai, 1994 : Québec, Canada), 1994
Respiratory Protection : How do respiratory cartridges work?
Yoon Y. H., Lara J.
Source :
in LABEX Canada's Conference and Exposition, (Octobre 1990 : Montréal, Canada), 1990

Additional Information

Type: Project

Number: 0088-0410

Status: Completed

Research Field: Chemical and Biological Hazard Prevention

Team:

Jaime Lara (IRSST)