Should Direct Reading Instruments Be Used For Exposure Assessments Essay

Words: 518
Pages: 3

Explain under what circumstances can or should direct reading instruments be used for exposure assessments?
Direct-reading instruments are used to detect and measure worker exposure to gases, vapors, aerosols, and fine particulates suspended in air. They give real-time or near real-time measurements. The circumstance that direct reading instrument should or can be used is to monitor a specific single compound, multiple agents, and, gases and vapors without differentiation. Direct reading instruments give a on the spot reading and are ideal for giving occupational hygeinst impertianant iformation on the job site. A circumstance that a direct reading gauge would be usfull would be to help inforse the use of personal protective equipment by giving the reading instrument to worker with some training in how to use the instrument can see the substance that is in the air on the site

When should they NOT be used?
…show more content…
Flame Ionization detector (FIDs) uses a hydrogen flame to produce ions. It is less sensitive to effects of humidity than PIDs, but is sensitivity to methane. Response depends on particular chemical and functional groups affect sensitivity. Insensitivity to ambient gases makes FID extremely useful in the analysis of atmospheric samples. FID response does not represent the concentrations of specific organic compounds, but rather an estimate of the total concentration of volatile organic compounds. used to detect gas and vapor range from 0.1 to 100000 PPM. Direct reading instruments are particularly useful for identifying point source contamination or emissions. Data obtained from direct-reading monitors can be used to evaluate existing health and/or safety programs and to assure proper selection of personal protective equipment (PPE), engineering controls and work