ASTM D4766

ASTM D4766

The monitoring of indoor air atmosphere is extremely important, not only for the maintenance of worker safety and health but also to comply with regulatory requirements. As a result of this, an occupational exposure to vinyl chloride (VC) has been recognized as a human carcinogen. ASTM D4766 is the standardized sampling and specific gas chromatography-based analytical procedure industrial hygienists, safety professionals, and environmental monitoring laboratories can use with confidence to obtain a reliable measurement of vinyl chloride in their workplaces. Presto Stantest is available to assist by designing appropriate, compliant testing and monitoring programs for industries, per the ASTM D4766 requirements.

Significance

In order to control occupational exposure to vinyl chloride, it is important to accurately and reproducibly measure the airborne concentrations in chemical processing, polymer manufacturing, plastic fabricating, and related industrial settings. Through healthy peer review, ASTM D4766 provides the analytical method that manufacturers, safety officers, and regulatory agencies can trust for the measured exposure data to make informed decisions in determining engineering controls, designing a ventilation system, selecting personal protective equipment, and reporting on the results of measurements. Consistent application of this standard supports both worker health protection and corporate compliance with permissible exposure limit (PEL) regulations enforced by occupational health authorities.

Scope

ASTM D4766 allows for the personal or area air sampling of workplace atmosphere onto an activated charcoal tube, subsequent solvent desorption, and quantitative evaluation by gas chromatography. The method is intended for monitoring for vinyl chloride monomer in the workplace environment of industry, specifically. Within the standard, sampling time, sample flow rate, desorption efficiency, and analytical calibration requirements have been specified to allow for measurement accuracy and data inter-laboratory compatibility.