A Portable Spectrometer for Inhalable Aerosol Size Distributions

用于测量可吸入气溶胶粒径分布的便携式光谱仪

• 批准号: 8243951
• 负责人: John Volckens
• 金额: $ 21.36万
• 依托单位: COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-07-01 至 2014-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/8243951
• 关键词: Portable; Spectrometer; Inhalable; Aerosol; Size

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Inhalable aerosols hazards are a significant contributor to the burden of occupational respiratory disease in this country. They are present in virtually every NORA sector: organic dusts in agriculture, forestry, and fishing; carbonaceous and mineral dusts in construction; metal and metalworking fluid aerosols in manufacturing; and coal dust in mining are but a few examples. However, we currently lack the technology to determine the size distribution of inhalable aerosol hazards in the workplace. Without this information, our ability to associate risk with exposure to inhalable aerosols is severely hampered. Therefore, the objective of this research is to develop new, inexpensive technology to characterize the size distribution of inhalable aerosol hazards in the workplace. Such a sampler will enable occupational health professionals to assess inhalable aerosol hazards more fully, as no commercially-available technologies currently exist to meet this need. The project has three specific aims: (1) Design an inexpensive, upflow clarifier to characterize the size distribution of inhalable aerosol hazards in the workplace (ranging from 10 to 100 5m); (2) Evaluate device performance using a combination of calm-air chamber studies and low-velocity wind tunnel experiments; (3) Test sampler performance in the field by characterizing inhalable particle size distributions for organic dust hazards in dairy and grain handling facilities. We will quantify inhalable organic dust size distributions as a function of mass and endotoxin content. The latter measure has never before been reported as a function of particle size for particles larger than 10 5m. This research contributes to the aims of the NORA by developing an exposure assessment technique capable of generating new and important knowledge for the field. Although inhalable aerosol samplers exist for measuring the total concentration of particles, we currently have no means for determining inhalable particle size distributions. Because size (in conjunction with chemical composition) plays a primary role in determining health effects, knowledge of the size-resolved chemical composition is of great interest to industrial hygienists, occupational physicians, and epidemiologists alike. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Occupational exposure to inhalable aerosols is a significant risk factor for many types of occupational respiratory disease. However, our ability to characterize these hazards is limited. This research, therefore, will develop improved technology with which to evaluate and help mitigate inhalable aerosol hazards in the workplace.

描述（由申请人提供）：可吸入的气溶胶危害是该国职业呼吸道疾病负担的重要原因。它们几乎存在于每个Nora领域：农业，林业和捕鱼中的有机尘埃；建筑中的碳质和矿物灰尘；制造中的金属和金属加工气溶胶；采矿中的煤炭尘是一些例子。但是，我们目前缺乏确定工作场所吸入气溶胶危害的尺寸分布的技术。没有这些信息，我们将风险与暴露于吸入气溶胶的能力受到了严重阻碍。因此，这项研究的目的是开发新的，廉价的技术来表征工作场所中吸入气溶胶危害的尺寸分布。这样的采样器将使职业卫生专业人员能够更全面地评估可吸收的气溶胶危害，因为目前没有可满足这一需求的商业可用技术。该项目具有三个特定的目的：（1）设计廉价的上流澄清板，以表征工作场所中可吸入的气溶胶危害的尺寸分布（从10到100 5m）； （2）使用平静空气室研究和低速风洞实验的组合来评估设备性能； （3）通过表征乳制品和谷物处理设施中有机粉尘危害的可吸入粒径分布来测试采样器的性能。我们将根据质量和内毒素含量的函数来量化可吸入的有机灰尘尺寸分布。后一种措施从未被报道过大于10 5M的颗粒的粒度函数。这项研究通过开发能够为该领域创造新的重要知识的曝光评估技术来促进NORA的目标。尽管存在可吸入的气溶胶采样器来测量颗粒的总浓度，但我们目前没有确定可吸入的粒径分布的方法。因为大小（与化学成分结合在一起）在确定健康效应方面起着主要作用，因此对尺寸分辨化学成分的知识对工业卫生学家，职业医生和流行病学家都引起了极大的关注。 公共卫生相关性：对吸入气溶胶的职业暴露是许多类型的职业呼吸道疾病的重要危险因素。但是，我们表征这些危害的能力是有限的。因此，这项研究将开发改进的技术，以评估和帮助减轻工作场所中可吸入的气溶胶危害。