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REFRIGERANT CONCENTRATIONS IN MOTOR VEHICLE PASSENGER COMPARTMENTS
Citation:
Jetter*, J J., R. Forte*, AND F. R. Delafield. REFRIGERANT CONCENTRATIONS IN MOTOR VEHICLE PASSENGER COMPARTMENTS. ASHRAE TRANSACTIONS. ASHRAE, Atlanta, GA, 107(Pt 2):99-107, (2001).
Description:
Refrigerant leak rates were measured for faulty air-conditioner evaporators removed from vehicles, and results indicated a range of very small to very large leaks. A survey of automotive air-conditioning service shops was conducted, and leakage scenarios were evaluated to determine possible worst-case conditions for inhalation exposure to refrigerant for vehicle occupants. Refrigerant concentrations were measured in passenger compartments of vehicles. The maximum refrigerant concentrations measured for two vehicles were approximately 18,000 ppm (parts per million) and 16,000 ppm at a leak rate of 0.11 oz/min (3 g/min). Results from this work were utilized in a study to estimate the risk of exposure to refrigerants used in automotive air conditioning in the United States.