title: Comparison of sampling and analytical methods used during the preparation of methyl methacrylate bone cements.
abstract: Surgeons, surgical nurses, and other operating room staff are exposed to airborne concentrations of methyl methacrylate during the preparation of orthopedic bone cement. Three sampling and analysis methods have been used to measurement methyl methacrylate in this work environment: (1) direct-reading photoacoustic infrared spectrometry, (2) solid sorbent and gas chromatography with flame ionization detection, and (3) colorimetric detector tubes. Previous studies have measured operating room exposures and judged the efficacy of cement mixing wth little, if any, regard for method sensitivity, detection limits, precision, or accuracy. The present investigation was designed to allow concurrent monitoring of methyl methacrylate levels from the same air volume using each of the three methods. Three popular orthopedic bone cement products were mixed during a number of repeat preparations (n = 36). Airborne concentrations were monitored concurrently during each preparation. Attention was given to the proper treatment of detection limits, and the results are reported both as raw data and descriptive statistics. A one-way ANOVA using a Tukey-Kramer HSD comparison was performed on method-specific results indicating that the photoacoustic infrared spectrometry and solid sorbent, gas chromatography with flame ionization detection are in good agreement, but the colorimetric detector tube method reports significantly different airborne concentrations. It is concluded that previous assessments using the photoacoustic infrared spectrometry and solid sorbent, gas chromatography with flame ionization detection may be relied on, but the detector tube method underreports actual exposures. Accordingly, the results of past exposure assessments and mixing method efficacy studies using colorimetric detector tubes may not be reliable.
authors.affiliation: Ungers & Associates, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio 45202, USA. lju@eos.net
authors.forename: Leslie J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Ungers
authors.forename: Timothy G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Vendrely
mesh_terms: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis*; D001843:Bone Cements / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D020366:Methylmethacrylate / Q000737:chemistry*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D001843:Bone Cements; D020366:Methylmethacrylate