Calcium hydroxid. Determination in workplace air

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Calcium hydroxid. Determination in workplace air

Journal Title: Podstawy i Metody Oceny Środowiska Pracy - Year 2019, Vol 35, Issue 2

Abstract

Calcium hydroxide is a white color solid. It is used in construction, chemical industry, water purification and wastewater treatment, flue gas desulphurization. Calcium hydroxide causes serious damage to the eyes, irritates the skin and it can cause after-launch respiratory irritation. Maximum allowable concentration value (MAC) for calcium hydroxide in the work environment in Poland, for the inhalable and respirable fraction is 2 mg/m3 (STEL is 6 mg/m3) and 1 mg/m3 (STEL is 4 mg/m3), respectively. The aim of the study was to develop a method for determining the concentration of calcium hydroxide present in the inhalable and respirable fraction in the workplaces atmosphere, in the range from 1/10 to 2 MAC values in accordance with the requirements of European Standard PN-EN 482. The developed method is based on collecting, stopping calcium hydroxide (contained in the inhalable and the respirable fraction) on membrane filters, mineralizing filters with concentrated nitric acid and determining calcium of the resulted solution by atomic absorption spectrometry with atomization in acetylene-air flame (F-AAS). The described method allows the determination of calcium in workplace air concentrations in the range of 0.50–20.00 μg/ml. The calibration curve characterized by a high value of the correlation coefficient: R2 = 1.0000. The limit of detection (LOD) is 0.1 ng/ml and the limit of quantification (LOQ) is 0.3 ng/ml. The determined coefficient of recovery is 1.00. An analytical method allows the determination of the concentration of the calcium hydroxide present in the workplace air in the inhalable fraction in the concentration range of 0.10–4.11 mg/m3 (sample air volume 720 L) and in the reparable fraction in the concentration range 0.07–2.70 mg/m3 (for a sample air volume of 684 L), which represents 0.05–2.1 MAC value for the inhalable fraction and 0.07–2.7 MAC value for the respirable fraction. The method has good precision and accuracy and meets the requirements of European Standard PN-EN 482 for procedures for determining chemical agents. The method for determining calcium hydroxide has been recorded in the form of an analytical procedure (see Appendix). This article discusses the problems of occupational safety and health, which are covered by health sciences and environmental engineering.<br/><br/>

Authors and Affiliations

Jolanta Surgiewicz

Keywords

EP ID EP599827
DOI 10.5604/01.3001.0013.2529
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