Organophosphates in aircraft cabin and cockpit air--method development and measurements of contaminants.

Methods for measurements and the potential for occupational exposure to organophosphates (OPs) originating from turbine and hydraulic oils among flying personnel in the aviation industry are described. Different sampling methods were applied, including active within-day methods for OPs and VOCs, newly developed passive long-term sample methods (deposition of OPs to wipe surface areas and to activated charcoal cloths), and measurements of OPs in high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) recirculation filters (n = 6). In total, 95 and 72 within-day OP and VOC samples, respectively, have been collected during 47 flights in six different models of turbine jet engine, propeller and helicopter aircrafts (n = 40). In general, the OP air levels from the within-day samples were low. The most relevant OP in this regard originating from turbine and engine oils, tricresyl phosphate (TCP), was detected in only 4% of the samples (min-max

Exposure to airborne organophosphates originating from hydraulic and turbine oils among aviation technicians and loaders.

This study describes the potential for occupational exposure to organophosphates (OPs) originating from turbine and hydraulic oils, among ground personnel within the aviation industry. The OPs tri-n-butyl phosphate (TnBP), dibutyl phenyl phosphate (DBPP), triphenyl phosphate (TPP) and tricresyl phosphate (TCP) have been emphasized due to their use in such oils. Oil aerosol/vapor and total volatile organic compounds (tVOCs) in air were also determined. In total, 228 and 182 OPs and oil aerosol/vapor samples from technician and loader work tasks during work on 42 and 21 aircrafts, respectively, were collected in pairs. In general, the measured exposure levels were below the limit of quantification (LOQ) for 84%/98% (oil aerosol) and 82%/90% (TCP) of the samples collected during technician/loader work tasks. The air concentration ranges for all samples related to technician work were

Compact semi-automatic incident sampler for personal monitoring of volatile organic compounds in occupational air.

Suddenly occurring and time limited chemical exposures caused by unintended incidents might pose a threat to many workers at various work sites. Monitoring of exposure during such occasional incidents is challenging. In this study a compact, low-weight and personal semi-automatic pumped unit for sampling of organic vapor phase compounds from occupational air during sporadic and suddenly occurring incidents has been developed, providing simple activation by the worker potentially subjected to the sudden occurring exposures when a trained occupational hygienist is not available. The sampler encompasses a tube (glass or stainless steel) containing an adsorbent material in combination with a small membrane pump, where the adsorbent is capped at both ends by gas tight solenoid valves. The sampler is operated by a conventional 9 V battery which tolerates long storage time (at least one year), and is activated by pulling a pin followed by automatic operation and subsequent closing of valves, prior to shipping to a laboratory. The adjustable sampling air flow rate and the sampling time are pre-programmed with a standard setting of 200 mL min(-1) and 30 min, respectively. The average airflow in the time interval 25-30 min compared to average airflow in the interval 2-7 min was 92-95% (n = 6), while the flow rate between-assay precisions (RSD) for six different samplers on three days each were in the range 0.5-3.7%. Incident sampler recoveries of VOCs from a generated VOC atmosphere relative to a validated standard method were between 95 and 102% (+/-4-5%). The valves that seal the sampler adsorbent during storage have been shown to prevent an external VOC atmosphere (500 mg m(-3)) to enter the adsorbent tube, in addition to that the sampler adsorbent is storable for at least one month due to absence of ingress of contaminants from internal parts. The sampler was also suitable for trapping of semi-volatile organophosphates.

Sensitive biomonitoring of phthalate metabolites in human urine using packed capillary column switching liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionization ion-trap mass spectrometry.

A rapid and sensitive method for the determination of the phthalate monoesters monoethyl phthalate (MEP), monobutyl phthalate (MBP), monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP) and monoethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP), in human urine, using packed capillary column liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray quadrupole-ion trap mass spectrometry (ESI-QITMS(n)) has been developed. Sample volumes of 200 microL of deconjugated and diluted urine were loaded onto a precolumn of 30 mmx0.32 mm I.D. packed with Hypercarb 5 microm particles, using a sample carrier consisting of acetonitrile/water (15/85, v/v, adjusted to pH 2 using HCl) with a flow rate of 20 microL/min. Backflushed elution onto a 100 mmx0.32 mm I.D. analytical column packed with 5 microm Hypercarb particles was conducted using a tetrahydrofuran/water gradient where both solvents contained 10 mM ammonium acetate, at a flow rate of 4 microL/min. Determination of the monophthalates was achieved within 8 min. Ionization was performed in the negative mode and the analytes were observed as [M-H](-) at m/ z=193.1, 221.1, 255.1 and 277.0 for MEP, MBP, MBzP and MEHP, respectively. Quantification was performed in the multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode monitoring the fragments at m/ z=121.1, 177.0, 183.0 and 233.0 for MEP, MBP, MBzP and MEHP, respectively. The method was validated over the concentration range 2.5-125 ng/mL in pretreated urine samples, corresponding to 25-1250 ng/mL untreated urine, yielding correlation coefficients in the range 0.996-0.999. The within-assay ( n=6) and between-assay ( n=6) repeatabilities were in the range 4.0-18% and 4.8-15% RSD, respectively. The mass limits of detection were in the range 32-70 pg, corresponding to concentration limits of detection of 1.6-3.5 ng/mL of untreated urine.