Unmanned assessment of respirator carbon dioxide levels: comparison of methods of measurement.
A study was performed to determine average inhaled carbon dioxide (F(I)CO2) concentrations of multiple respirators using unmanned test methods, and to compare results among test procedures to determine whether they could be used interchangeably. Respirator experiments were performed according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) (NF(I)CO2), standard European (ENF(I)CO2), and a modified method of the European test (BF(I)CO2) using full-facepiece air-purifying respirators and one air-purifying escape respirator. Bland-Altman statistics for determination of limits of agreement were applied to assess agreement among the various test methods. A considerable lack of agreement was found between NF(I)CO2 and ENF(I)CO2 methods and between BF(I)CO2 and NF(I)CO2 methods for average F(I)CO2. The modified EN136 method produced F(I)CO2 averages about 0.13% to 0.23% above unmodified EN136 values, but the agreement between methods was generally acceptable. These results demonstrate that NIOSH and European unmanned test methods for determining respirator average F(I)CO2 concentrations produce different results for like respirators. However, the findings suggest that the ENF(I)CO2 and BF(I)CO2 unmanned methods could be used interchangeably for quantifying respirator F(I)CO2 concentrations.
Caretti
David
D
U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland 21010-5424, USA. david.caretti@us.army.mil
Coyne
Karen M
KM
D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis*; D002623:Chemistry Techniques, Analytical / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D005060:Europe; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D009314:National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, U.S.; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012134:Respiratory Protective Devices; D014481:United States
D002245:Carbon Dioxide