Unit 5.5 MISSION SPECIFIC: Air Monitoring and Sampling

1. Unit 5.5 MISSION SPECIFIC: Air Monitoring and Sampling

2. Objectives • Identify IDLH conditions present at a hazardous materials emergency • Use air monitoring data to select proper personal protective equipment • Properly select, start, operate and interpret air monitoring instruments provided by the AHJ

3. Instrument Characteristics • Calibration • Start up procedures • Sensitivity • Accuracy • Selectivity • Response time • Lag time • Inherent safety

4. Air Monitoring Requirements • Corrosivity (pH) • Necessary to protect instruments • Radiological • Flammability • Oxygen • Toxicity

5. Devices • pH • Litmus paper • Wetted • Red/Blue • Meters • Not feasible in emergency response

6. Radiation Detection • Types • Alpha • Beta • Gamma • Units of measure • 1 REM = 1,000 Mrem • 1 mREM = 1000 REM

7. Radiation Detection • Detector Types • Ion chambers • Geiger Muller • Scintillation • Semiconductor • Gamma spectroscopy • Identification of isotopes

8. CGI • Wheatstone bridge or catalytic bead • Very accurate to calibrating gas • Readings expressed in % of LEL • Affected by  Temp, humidity, elevation • Does not identify the gas • Response factors needed

9. Oxygen • Technology  Electrochemical • Very accurate • Reading  % of oxygen in air • Shelf life of about 1 to 2 years • Affected by temp • Poisoned by acids (CO2)

10. Toxicity • Technology  PID or Electrochemical • Electrochemical • Chemical specific • Reading  PPM or % by vol. • Most accurate to concentration of calibration gas • Poisoned by acids or bases • Affected by  Interferences, temp

11. Toxicity • Photo ionization detector • Technology  UV bulb to ionize material • Not chemical specific • Readings  PPM • Accurate to calibration gas • Affected by  Humidity, high concentrations • Does not identify the gas • Response factors needed

12. WMD Detection • M8 paper • Colorimetric paper • Detects nerve agents, blister agents • Reading  Color change indicates agent present • Easy to use • Liquids only • M256A1 kit • Technology  Wet chemistry • Detects  Nerve agents, blister agents, cyanides • Reading  Color change indicates agent present • Takes about 30 min to detect vapors • Difficult to use in gear • Interpretation required by user

13. WMD Detection • APD2000 • Technology  IMS • Detects  Nerve agents, blister agents, pepper and tear gas, gamma radiation • Reading  Indicates which agent present • Very sensitive PPB • False positives

14. WMD Detection • Haz Mat CAD • Technology  Surface Acoustical Wave (SAW) and electrochemical • Detects  Nerve agents, blister agents, cyanides and TICs • Readings  Indicates which agent type present • Very sensitive PPB • False positives

15. Biological Detection • Protein screen • Indicates presence of protein • Some screens also indicate extremes in pH • Immunoassay • Some are very accurate • Possible false positives or negatives • Results in minutes • only a screening tool!!!! • PCR

16. Summary • Air monitoring enables decision making • Required detection activities • Flammability, oxygen, radiological, toxicity • Instrument chacateristics • Instrument calibration • Calibration, field calibration checks, bumping • Relative response

17. Activity 5.5 Start-up and Use of Organization’s Detection Equipment