Predicting worker exposure--the effect of ventilation velocity, free-stream turbulence and thermal condition

Micro-environmental factors impact breathing zone exposures: A simulated petrochemical manufacturing facility task

This study investigates the impact of micro-environmental factors on worker breathing zone exposure levels in petrochemical facilities. A laboratory simulation study evaluated near-field exposure to methane for a typical maintenance task. Individual and combinations of micro-environmental factors significantly affected methane exposure. Airflow direction and speed were significant determinants of exposure concentration reduction. A side airflow direction at medium to high speed produced the lowest gas concentration in the breathing zone. Worker body orientation relative to the methane emission point was also a critical factor affecting gas concentration in the worker's breathing zone. The study provides insights into how variations in airflow and small changes in position impact near-field exposures for petrochemical tasks, guiding industrial hygiene professionals' training on qualitative exposure estimation and providing input for near-field exposure modeling to guide quantitative exposure and risk assessment.

Research on the relationship between the centerline velocity, aspect ratio and exhaust airflow rate for a slot and a rectangular capture hood in an local exhaust ventilation system

When using a local exhaust hood to remove harmful substances from the production process, the exhaust airflow rate must be calculated according to the capturing velocity specified by the relevant regulations. The Numano and American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) equations are used in Japan and the US, respectively, for estimating the exhaust airflow rate of slot hoods. However, these equations differ from each other, and when using these equations to calculate the exhaust airflow rate of the capture hood, whether using Japan's equation or ACGIH, the hood type (slot or rectangular hood) should be distinguished at first. Therefore, this study performs experiments and a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation to investigate the relationship between the centerline velocity and the aspect ratio for five types of capture hoods. The results showed good agreement between simulated and experimental centerline velocities when the distance from the hood face. A dimensionless velocity was introduced and a significant difference in the relationship between the centerline velocity and the distance from the hood face with different aspect ratios was found. A unified equation was obtained that can express the relationship between exhaust airflow rate and centerline velocity regardless of the aspect ratio of the hood face of the free-standing capture hood.

Constructing Markov matrices for real-time transient contaminant transport analysis for indoor environments

Predicting the movement of contaminants in the indoor environment has applications in tracking airborne infectious disease, ventilation of gaseous contaminants, and the isolation of spaces during biological attacks. Markov matrices provide a convenient way to perform contaminant transport analysis. However, no standardized method exists for calculating these matrices. A methodology based on set theory is developed for calculating contaminant transport in real-time utilizing Markov matrices from CFD flow data (or discrete flow field data). The methodology provides a rigorous yet simple strategy for determining the number and size of the Markov states, the time step associated with the Markov matrix, and calculation of individual entries of the Markov matrix. The procedure is benchmarked against scalar transport of validated airflow fields in enclosed and ventilated spaces. The approach can be applied to any general airflow field, and is shown to calculate contaminant transport over 3000 times faster than solving the corresponding scalar transport partial differential equation. This near real-time methodology allows for the development of more robust sensing and control procedures of critical care environments (clean rooms and hospital wards), small enclosed spaces (like airplane cabins) and high traffic public areas (train stations and airports).

Analysis of factors affecting containment with extracted partial enclosures using computational fluid dynamics

The Health and Safety Executive's (HSE's) COSHH Essentials (HSE, 2002, COSHH Essentials: easy steps to control chemicals HSG193. 2nd edn. ISBN 0 71762737 3. Available at http://www.coshh-essentials.org.uk. Accessed 30 October 2013) provides guidance on identifying the approaches required to control exposure to chemicals in the workplace. The control strategies proposed in COSHH Essentials are grouped into four control approaches: general ventilation, engineering control, containment, or to seek specialist advice. We report the use of experimental measurements and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling to examine the performance of an engineering control approach and a containment control approach. The engineering control approach simulated was an extracted partial enclosure, based on the COSHH Essentials G200, for which simulations were compared with data from experiments. The containment approach simulated was of drum filling (in an extracted partial enclosure), based on the COSHH Essentials G305. The influence of the following factors on containment was examined: face velocity, size and location of face opening, and movement and ventilation flows. CFD predictions of the engineering control approach agreed well with the majority of the experimental measurements demonstrating confidence in the modelling approach used. The results show that the velocity distribution at the face of the enclosure is not uniform and the location and size of the opening are significant factors affecting the flow field and hence the containment performance. The simulations of drum filling show the effect on containment of the movement of a drum through the face of an enclosure. Analysis of containment performance, using a tracer, showed that containment was affected by the interaction between the ventilation flow direction and drum movement and spacing. Validated CFD simulations are shown to be a useful tool for gaining insight into the flows in control strategies for exposure control and to aid the interpretation of experimental measurements. The results support the assumption in COSHH Essentials that the use of 'containment' as a control approach is capable of achieving a 100-fold reduction in potential exposure. Novel CFD modelling techniques have been used to create controlled containment scenarios, improve understanding of the flow behaviour in the scenarios, and provide information that may aid future containment design.

Experimental investigation of the concept of a 'breathing zone' using a mannequin exposed to a point source of inertial/sedimenting particles emitted with momentum

An inhaling mannequin, CALTOOL, was used in a specially ventilated room to compare the concentrations inhaled with those sampled by samplers mounted across the breathing zone. The CALTOOL is made from metal sheets and consists of a cylindrical torso (42 x 24 x 54 cm) with a circular cylinder as head. A circular nozzle simulates the mouth. This nozzle is part of a cassette that holds a filter. The inhalation rate is not periodic but kept constant at nominally 20 l min(-1). The CALTOOL was placed in a horizontal air stream ( approximately 10 cm s(-1)) either facing or back to the wind. In front of the lower chest of the CALTOOL, a particle source was mounted which emitted particles with a momentum directed upwards at an angle of 45 degrees towards the CALTOOL. Five monodisperse aluminium oxide powders were used as test aerosols. The mass median aerodynamic diameters of the test aerosols ranged approximately 10 to 95 mum. Six conically shaped aerosol samplers were mounted horizontally and over the breathing zone of the CALTOOL, one on each shoulder, three across the upper torso, and one at the lower torso centre. Four to six runs per test aerosol and CALTOOL orientation in the airflow were conducted. The samples were analysed gravimetrically. The concentration ratio aerosol sampler to the CALTOOL cassette was determined for the investigated mounting positions. The results showed that when the CALTOOL was exposed to particles emitted with momentum from a point source in front of the lower chest, the variation in concentration over the breathing zone was large. The ratio of the concentration sampled by an aerosol sampler mounted somewhere within the breathing zone to the CALTOOL cassette concentration, would, for specific particle sizes, easily differ by a factor of 3, but may extend up to 10-100, depending on the particular conditions. The basic concept of a breathing zone consisting of a hemisphere of radius 25-30 cm is therefore not well suited for workers handling a point source emitting large particles. For such sampling situations, it is suggested that the radius of the breathing zone is reduced to 10 cm, which may be achieved by a head-mounted sampler.