Mitchell D. Erickson

Personal exposure to volatile organic compounds: I. Direct measurements in breathing-zone air, drinking water, food, and exhaled breath

A pilot study to test methods of estimating personal exposures to toxic substances and corresponding body burdens was carried out between July and December 1980. Individual exposures to about a dozen volatile organic compounds in air and drinking water were measured for nine volunteers in Bayonne and Elizabeth, New Jersey, and for three volunteers in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina during three 3-day visits over the 6-month period. Breath samples were also collected from all subjects on each visit. Composite food samples were collected in each locality. Sampling and analytical methods for air, water, food, and breath were evaluated and found generally capable of detecting concentrations as low as 1 microgram/m3 in air and breath, and 1 ng/g in water and food. About 230 personal air samples, 170 drinking water samples, 66 breath samples, and 4 food samples (16 composites) were analyzed for the target chemicals. Ten compounds were present in air and eight were transmitted mainly through that medium. The two target trihalomethanes (chloroform and bromodichloromethane) were predominantly transmitted through water and beverages. Food appeared to be a minor route of exposure, except possibly for trichloroethylene in margarine. Seven compounds were present in more than half of the breath samples. Diurnal and seasonal variations were noted in air and water concentrations of some compounds, with summer levels generally higher. For some chemicals, weekday air exposures were significantly higher than weekend exposures. Some, but not all, of the potentially occupationally exposed individuals had significantly higher workplace exposures to several chemicals. Distributions of air exposures were closer to log normal than normal for most chemicals. Several chemicals were highly correlated with each other in personal air samples, indicating possible common sources of exposure.

Application of a Search System and Vapor-Phase Library to Spectral Identification Problems

A recent major advance in the field of gas chromatography/Fourier transform infrared spectrometry is the availability of a search system and digitized vapor phase infrared library. This paper presents the results of the application of this search system to a real-world sample. Examples are shown of correct matches and an incorrect match. Overall, the search performs very well with good quality unknown spectra, but cannot differentiate between a spectrum and background. These results indicate that visual comparison of the unknown and standard are required for all but the most routine identifications.

Comparison of Common Solvent Evaporation Techniques in Organic Analysis

Abstract Isolation of organic constituents from water frequently involves an extraction with a large volume of organic solvent which must be reduced to achieve the desired sensitivity. The objective of this research was to evaluate common solvent evaporation techniques to determine which are acceptable for use in pollutant analysis. Techniques for solvent reduction from 200 to 10 mL (macro) and 8 to 0.2 mL (micro) were evaluated. The macro concentration technques included Kuderna-Danish (K-D) concentration, rotary evaporation, evaporation on a hot plate in an Erlen-meyer flask, and heated nitrogen blowdown in an Erlenmeyer flask. The micro techniques included micro K-D concentration, nitrogen blowdown, and nitrogen blowdown with a modified Snyder column. A series of model compounds covering a wide range of boiling points (108° to 323°C) and polarity was used. Based upon recovery efficiency alone, nitrogen blowdown was significantly superior to the other macro techniques; however, its extreme slowness gave...

ISEA2007 panel: Integration of better exposure characterizations into disaster preparedness for responders and the public

An expert panel was convened in October 2007 at the International Society for Exposure Analysis Annual Meeting in Durham, NC, entitled “The Path Forward in Disaster Preparedness Since WTC—Exposure Characterization and Mitigation: Substantial Unfinished Business!” The panel prospectively discussed the critical exposure issues being overlooked during disaster responses and highlighted the needs for an optimal blending of exposure characterizations and hazard controls within disaster settings. The cases were made that effective and timely exposure characterizations must be applied during responses to any disaster, whether terrorist, manmade, or natural in origin. The consistent application of exposure sciences across acute and chronic disaster timelines will assure that the most effective strategies are applied to collect the needed information to guide risk characterization and management approaches. Exposure sciences must be effectively applied across all phases of a disaster (defined as rescue, reentry, recovery, and rehabitation—the four Rs) to appropriately characterize risks and guide risk-mitigation approaches. Failure to adequately characterize and control hazardous exposures increases the likelihood of excess morbidity and mortality. Advancing the infrastructure and the technologies to collect the right exposure information before, during, and immediately after disasters would advance our ability to define risks and protect responders and the public better. The panel provided conclusions, recommendations, and next steps toward effective and timely integration of better exposure science into disaster preparedness, including the need for a subsequent workshop to facilitate this integration. All panel presentations and a summary were uploaded to the ISES1 website (http://www.iseaweb.org/Disaster_Preparedness/index.php).

Gas Chromatography/Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry Analysis of Semivolatile Coal Gasification Pollutants

Gas chromatography/Fourier transform infrared spectrometry has been used to analyze a sample of semivolatile organic pollutants collected during a coal gasification using a bench scale coal gasifier. The compounds identified include benzene, phenol, naphthalene, and some of their alkyl derivatives.