title: Simulated exposure of hospital emergency personnel to solvent vapors and respirable dust during decontamination of chemically exposed patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To ascertain the breathing-zone level of organic solvents and respirable particulates in a simulated hospital patient decontamination.
  
  
  METHODS
  An adult-sized, clothed plastic mannequin was contaminated with a solvent or particulate, then decontaminated. Rescuers were exposed to acetone, p-xylene, iron oxide, or zinc oxide during decontamination. We performed breathing-zone air sampling on the two rescuers. Five trials were run with each chemical.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two physicians performed the decontamination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Measured breathing-zone concentrations for the chemicals tested were significantly lower than their respective short-term breathing-zone limits (P = .042, .043, .001, and .001 for acetone, p-xylene, iron, and zinc oxide, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The chemicals tested during simulated hospital decontamination did not pose a respiratory health risk to rescuers. This model may be useful in the extrapolation of breathing-zone exposure to more toxic chemicals. Because ours are preliminary data, the use of respiratory protective equipment during decontamination must be recommended.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schultz
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cisek
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wabeke
mesh_terms: D003666:Decontamination / Q000379:methods*; D004391:Dust; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D015386:Hazardous Substances; D006801:Humans; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D012134:Respiratory Protective Devices; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012997:Solvents
chemical_list: D004391:Dust; D015386:Hazardous Substances; D012997:Solvents