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NHEXAS PHASE I REGION 5 STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR COLLECTION/STORAGE/SHIPMENT OF SAMPLES FOR VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS IN PERSONAL/INDOOR/OUTDOOR/OCCUPATIONAL AIR (RTI/ACS-AP-209-012)
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The EPA does all it can to ensure that the identity of survey participants cannot be disclosed. All direct identifiers, as well as any characteristics that might lead to identifications, are omitted from the data. Any intentional identification or disclosure of a person or establishment violates the assurances of confidentiality given to the providers of the information. Therefore, users will (1) use the data in this study for statistical reporting and analysis only; (2) make no use of the identity of any person or establishment discovered inadvertently and will advise the HEDS Administrator of any such discovery; (3) will not link this data with individually identifiable data from other EPA or non-EPA data.
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Citation:
Region 5 Study Consortium. NHEXAS PHASE I REGION 5 STUDY--STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR COLLECTION/STORAGE/SHIPMENT OF SAMPLES FOR VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS IN PERSONAL/INDOOR/OUTDOOR/OCCUPATIONAL AIR (RTI/ACS-AP-209-012). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., 1995.
Description:
This protocol describes the procedures for the collection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in air on passive charcoal badges, and the procedures for storing and shipping of the badges after collection. The 3M Organic Vapor Monitor (OVM) #3520 (dual stage) was used to passively collect VOCs in personal, indoor, and outdoor air. Sample collection was initiated by removing the cap from the OVM. The VOCs diffuse through a fixed membrane at a known rate and are adsorbed onto activated charcoal disks. The OVM badge was attached near the breathing zone of participants for periods of approximately 144 hours to measure total inhalation exposure. For a subset of participants, a second badge was covered during those periods spent at work. Occupational exposure was calculated as the difference between the two measurements. Badges were deployed in the main living area of all homes and outdoors at a subset of homes over monitoring periods of approximately 144 hours (coincident with personal monitoring) to assess the sources of VOC exposure. At the end of the monitoring period, each badge was capped and stored until it was shipped to the analysis laboratory, where it was solvent extracted and analyzed by GC/MS. Benzene, chloroform, perchloroethylene, and trichloroethylene are the primary target analytes. Keywords: air; VOCs.
The National Human Exposure Assessment Survey (NHEXAS) is a federal interagency research effort coordinated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Research and Development (ORD). Phase I consists of demonstration/scoping studies using probability-based sampling designs. The Region 5 study was conducted in EPA's Region 5 (Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Minnesota), and included personal exposure, residential concentration, and biomarker measurements of metals and VOCs. The study was conducted by the Research Triangle Institute (RTI) and the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (EOHSI). The scope and design of the study are detailed in the following article: E. Pellizzari et al., Population-Based Exposure Measurements in EPA Region 5: A Phase I Field Study in Support of the National Human Exposure Assessment Survey. Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology, Vol. 5, No. 3, 1995, pp. 327-358.
NOTE: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through its Office of Research and Development (ORD), partially funded and collaborated in the research described here. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by EPA for use. This SOP is part of the Quality Systems Implementation Plan (QSIP) that was reviewed by the EPA and approved for use in this demonstration/scoping study. This SOP was used in the study and is provided for documentation purposes. It does not reflect EPA methods and should not be construed as such. The methods were generated by the consortium to be used for the NHEXAS pilot study.