PKSafety.com Blog

Chances are all of us have some level of exposure to formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is inexpensive to produce and has a wide range of uses from building materials such as paint or the glue used to bind plywood, particle board and paneling to the Brazilian Blowout, a hair-straitening product found to contain startlingly high concentrations of this dangerous compound.

For those who work in industries where formaldehyde is used regularly the dangers are quite serious. Even light contact with formaldehyde (also abbreviated HCHO) can irritate the eyes and affect the mucous membranes and upper respiratory system. Prolonged or acute exposure can create severe abdominal pain, convulsions, diarrhea, bronchitis, pneumonia or pulmonary edema. Not only that, but OSHA has determined that formaldehyde is a genotoxic, showing properties of both a cancer initiator and promoter for early and late stage carcinogen. While those who work around formaldehyde regularly – agricultural workers, drug makers, furniture makers and finishers, and now salon workers – are at some risk of ingesting the compound, the more common routes for exposure are through skin absorption and inhalation.

While latex gloves provide some barrier to absorption, butyl or nitrile gloves are recommended and should be used when contact is anticipated. With regard to inhalation, employers who require workers to be exposed to formaldehyde in concentrations over .75 parts of formaldehyde per million parts of air (.75 ppm), must provide and make sure the employees wear respirators that conform to OSHA standards 1910.134 for respiratory protection. A great mask that meets these requirements is the Moldex 9000 Respirator Combination.

The Moldex 9000 is a full face respirator that, when properly worn, will protect not only the lungs of the wearer, but also the eyes and the mucous membranes that can be affected by formaldehyde fumes. The mask features Moldex 7600 Multi-Gas Vapor Smart Cartridges that are capable of filtering multiple gases that may be present in the same work space.

According to Wikipedia, last year over 50 billion tons of formaldehyde was produced worldwide. Workers and employers who work with this compound need to take steps to prevent exposure that can lead to short term and long term hazards to health.

Justin Respiratory Formaldehyde, manufacturing, OSHA, Respirator, worker protection

I recently got some questions regarding RAE Systems Gas Detection Tubes and I wanted to clarify their use.

First, what are they? Gas detection tubes offer a quick way to determine the presence or concentration of specific chemicals in air. This is well established technology, and has been offered by a few manufacturers for many years. The theory is that specific reagents change color as they absorb certain chemicals. This color change, or stain, is predictable and measurable. This is also how they come to be called Colorimetric Measurement Tubes.

These tubes are essentially sealed glass tubes that resemble short straws, and are filled with sorbent granules. The granules may be different colors depending on what gas the tube is supposed to be measuring. The outside of the tubes are printed with a graduated measurement scale that allows you directly read the concentration.

When ordering tubes, remembered that they are listed by the specific chemical to be measured, and in most cases, with a specific concentration range. That is, you might have a certain tube to measure 100–500ppm and another for 500-2000ppm of the same chemical. For the sake of this example, let’s say you would like to measure the amount of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in the air.

To use, break the tips off of the tube at both ends (a tip breaker is included with the pump) and place in the RAE piston hand pump. Then draw air through the pump. This pump draws a very specific amount of air (100cc) through the tubes. The granulated chemicals within the tube will react with the CO2 and will ‘stain’ to a given length based on the CO2 concentration. This concentration is read directly on the scale on the tube. The reading is referred to as ‘qualitative’ and is usually within +/- 20% of the actual gas content. Temperature, humidity and the ‘crispness’ of the stain all play into this inherent variability.

It is important to realize that these tubes only gather a snapshot of the air at that moment. They are also only for one time use. Once you have drawn air through the tubes you cannot use them again. The pump, however, is a sturdy piece of equipment and can be used over and over again.

It is also important to note that these are only meant to measure gas content in air. These cannot measure dissolved gas content in water or another liquid. You can use these tubes to measure the air above a tank, down a sewer, at the top of a monitoring well, or in many other locations to detect gases and vapors produced by solids and liquids.

These tubes are relatively inexpensive so they are a great tool if you don’t need constant air readings. Happy measuring!

Administrator Confined Space Acetone, Ammonia, Benzene, Butane, Carbon Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, Chlorine, Colorimetric Gas Detection, Formaldehyde, Hydrocarbons, Hydrogen Chloride, Hydrogen Sulfide, Mercaptans, Methyl Bromide, Methyl Ethyl Ketone, Nitrogen Dioxide, Nitrogen Oxides, Ozone, Phosphine, Sulfur Dioxide, Toluene, Trichloroethylene, Vinyl Chloride, Water Vapor, Xylene