Occupational exposure to fluorinated hydrocarbons during refrigeration repair work.
This study describes refrigeration repair workers' occupational exposures to halogenated refrigerants, focusing on difluorochloromethane (HCFC 22), tetrafluoroethane (HFC 134a) and a mixture of tri-, tetra- and pentafluoroethane (R404A) in 30 work operations. Unlike earlier reported studies, the present study includes working procedures involving welding in order to measure possible occupational exposure to decomposition products. The measurements included hydrogen fluoride (HF), hydrogen chloride (HCl), phosgene (COCl2) and volatile organic compounds (VOC). The exposures were assessed during work operations on small-scale cooling installations like refrigerators and freezers. The repair workers' occupational exposures to refrigerants were moderate, and the major part of the exposures were associated with specific working procedures lasting for relatively short periods of time (<20 min). During these exposure events the concentrations were occasionally high (up to 42434 mg m(-3)). Although welding operations lasted only for short periods of time, HF was detected in 9 out of 15 samples when HCFC 22, HFC 134a or R404A had been used. Hydrogen chloride was detected in 3 out of 5 samples in air polluted with HCFC 22. Phosgene was not detected. A large number of VOCs in various concentrations were found during welding. Except for the applied refrigerants, halogenated compounds were only found in one sample.
National Institute of Occupational Health, PO Box 8149 Dep., N-0033 Oslo, Norway. Merete.Gjolstad@stami.no
Merete
M
Gjølstad
Dag G
DG
Ellingsen
Oscar
O
Espeland
Karl-Christian
KC
Nordby
Harald
H
Evenseth
Syvert
S
Thorud
Nils Petter
NP
Skaugset
Yngvar
Y
Thomassen
D000328:Adult; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D006845:Hydrocarbons, Fluorinated / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D012034:Refrigeration
D006845:Hydrocarbons, Fluorinated