The document discusses setting action levels and air monitoring to protect workers from toxic materials. It provides guidance on factors to consider when establishing action levels for multiple chemicals, including chemical properties, exposure pathways, concentrations, and work environment. Matrices are presented for setting action levels for volatile organic compounds and particulate metals in soils based on threshold limit values, real-time air monitoring data, and type of personal protective equipment required. The focus is on action levels between Level D and Level C personal protective equipment.

1. 1
Setting Action Levels
and
Controlling exposure with Air
Monitoring
A review...

2. 2
Objectives
 Understand the factors that go into establishing
an action level
 Understand the variables affecting action levels
when working with multiple chemical
contaminants
 Understand how to monitor VOCs in the air and
metals in airborne dust particles

3. 3
Why set Action Levels?
 Protect against the inhalation of toxic materials
 Protect against the absorption of toxic materials
 Protect against other affects of toxic materials
 Protect against explosion and oxygen
deficiency/enrichment

4. 4
What are the challenges that are
important to consider in setting
action levels?
Challenges

5. 5
 Chemicals of concern
 PEL/REL/TLV, IDLH
 Exposure pathways
 Inhalation
 Absorption
 Ingestion
 Injection
 Concentrations of chemical
 Physical state of chemical
 gas, solid mist, vapor, fume, particles
 density, vapor pressure, etc…
 Environment of the work zone
 Temperature
 Access
Challenges

6. 6
Other considerations
 Nature of the work
 PPE levels of protection available
(A/B/C/D)
 Training
 Physical demands
 Work activity
 Respirator compatibility
 PPE compatibility
 Physical condition of the workers
 Air monitoring instrumentation
limitations and capabilities

7. 7
Resources available to
help you...
 NIOSH pocket guide
 PEL/REL
 Ionization potential (Ip)
 Physical characteristics
 Recommended respirators
 ACGIH TLV/BEI book
 SMS 17 Hazardous Waste Operations
 SMS 43 Personal Monitoring
 SMS 050 Specific Chemical Hazards
 Your Regional H&S Manager
 One of the 50+ CSP/CIH/CHPs in URS

8. 8
The focus today….
 Action levels for inhalation risks particularly
between Level D and C PPE
 Particular emphasis on
 VOCs
 Particulates

9. 9
Volatile Organic
Compound
A VOC is...
 an organic compound (carbon)
 typically an inhalation and absorption hazard
 typically present in low levels on a site
Chemical TLV______
REL*
PEL
IDLH Ionization
Potential
Xylene 100PPM
100 PPM
100 PPM
900 PPM 8.56 eV
Toluene 50 PPM
100 PPM
200 PPM
500 PPM 8.82 eV
Benzene 0.5 PPM
0.1PPM
1.0 PPM
500 PPM
(Ca)
9.24 Ev
* REL from NIOSH

10. 10
Typical VOC site...
 Action levels… depend first on
an instrument:
 PID with a 10.6 eV bulb
 Calibrated to hexane?
Isobutylene?
 What is the relative response
(response factor)?
 Air monitoring is completed in
the Operator’s Breathing Zone
 Greater than 3 minutes
(sometimes 5 minutes)
 15 meter units (or 25, or 50)
above background with a PID

11. 11
But what about Benzene?
 How can an action level of 15 meter units be
acceptable if Benzene is a possible chemical of
concern?
Chemical TLV______
REL
PEL
IDLH Ionization
Potential
Xylene 100PPM
100 PPM
100 PPM
900 PPM 8.56 eV
Toluene 50 PPM
100 PPM
200 PPM
500 PPM 8.82 eV
Benzene 0.5 PPM
0.1PPM
1.0 PPM
500 PPM
(Ca)
9.24 Ev

12. 12
Solution
 Add another “level” to the action levels.
 Have the ability to discriminate Benzene from other
VOCs. This can be done easily with a colorimetric
tube, a Benzene chip detector, or a Benzene PID
pre-filter.
 If > 2 PPM (meter units) in the OBZ for more than 5
minutes, test for Benzene. If no Benzene, increase
action level to 15/25/50 meter units using the PID.
 Or upgrade to Level C…
 (Why is the IDLH level
important when using
Level C PPE?)

13. 13
What if?
 You have a PCE site with Vinyl Chloride
contamination...
Chemical TLV______
REL
PEL
IDLH Ionization
Potential
Perclorethylene
(aka tetrachlorethylene)
25 PPM
Ca
100 PPM
300 PPM 9.32eV
Vinyl Chloride 1 PPM
Ca
1 PPM
None 9.99 eV

14. 14
Solution?
 Eliminate the potential of VC in the breathing
area - use a colorimetric tube or CHIP for VC in
combination with a PID.
 If > 3 meter units in the OBZ for more than 3
minutes, test for Vinyl Chloride. If no VC is
present, increase action level to 10 meter units.
 Question… Can you upgrade to Level C if VC is
present above 1 PPM?
 What was that IDLH?

15. 15
Action Level Matrix for
BTEX scenario
PID Reading
In Operator Breathing
Zone for more than 3
minutes
Action
(PID with 10.6 eV bulb)
(Draeger Benzene Chip
Detector)
Note
0-2 PPM Conduct Air
monitoring every 15
Minutes
Level D PPE
(modified) required.
>2 PPM Test for Benzene
using Benzene
Monitor
If Benzene is present
> 1 PPM, Notify
RHSM. Upgrade to
Level C PPE with OV
cartridge. Stop work if
Benzene exceeds 2.5
PPM.
>2 & <50 PPM
(with NO Benzene)
Conduct Monitoring
every 15 minutes
with the PID and
every 30-60 minutes
with a Benzene
Monitor
If greater than 2 PPM
Benzene, or greater
than 50 PPM on the
PID indicated,
upgrade to Level C
PPW with OV
cartridge. Notify the
RHSM.

16. 16
Contaminated Soils
 The challenge is often Lead (Pb) or Arsenic (As)
 Other metals
 May also include PCBs and PAHs
 Typically present an inhalation hazard - expressed an mg/m3
Chemical
TLV______
REL
PEL
IDLH Ionization
Potential
Lead
(Pb)
0.1 mg/m3
0.05 mg/m3
0.05 mg/m3
100 mg/m3
NA
Arsenic
(As)
0.01 mg/m3
None
0.5 mg/m3
5 mg/m
3
NA
Airborne
particulates
3 mg/m3 (respirable)
10 mg/m3 (inhalable)
3 mg/m3 (respirable)
10 mg/m3 (inhalable)
5 mg/m3 (respirable)
15 mg/m3 (inhalable)
None NA

17. 17
Scenario
 Contaminated soils site. Pb
in the soil is present at 1000
mg/kg
 What amount of airborne Pb
soil particles should we set
as permissible to breath?
 How are we measuring the
particles in air?
 (mg/m3)

18. 18
The Pb example in formula...
 The formula for equivalent dust concentration:
Exposure Limit = (106 mg/kg) (TLV or PEL in mg/m3)
(conc in soil in mg/kg) (safety factor)
(106 mg/kg) (TLV or PEL in mg/m3)
(conc in soil in mg/kg) (safety factor)
106 * 0.05mg/m3 = 25 mg/m3
1000 * 2
 Safety factors are:
 2 when site data is good; highly confident
 4 when site data is okay; some confidence
 10 when no data exists; no confidence

19. 19
And finally...
 Remember what the exposure to Dust was limited
to?
 10 mg/m3 inhalable
 3 mg/m3 respirable
 So the maximum exposure level on the site for soils
with 100 mg/kg of Pb is 10 mg/m3 even though we
could go to 25 mg/m3 for Pb.
 Above 10 mg/m3 in the air (TLV-TWA) workers
should be in level C PPE with a particulate filter (P-
100).
 Note: typically dust is visible in the air at 5 mg/m3

20. 20
Action Levels for Intrusive Activities
Monitoring
Equipment Sampling Result/Observation Action
PID (10.6 eV lamp) >1 ppm Continue to monitor with PID; monitor
with benzene chips.
Benzene detector chip
(with CMS device)
<0.5 ppm Continue to monitor with PID.
0.5 ppm, <25 ppm Upgrade to Level C. Continue to
monitor with PID.
25 ppm Stop work; evacuate area and contact
HSM.
PID (10.6 eV lamp) >1 ppm, 25 ppm; IF no
benzene detected
Continue to monitor with PID.
>25 ppm, 250 ppm; IF no
benzene detected
Upgrade to Level C. Continue to
monitor with PID.
>250 ppm Stop work; evacuate area; contact HSM.
Hydrogen sulfide
monitor
2.5 ppm Stop work; evacuate area; contact HSM.
MiniRam Dust
Monitor
>15 mg/m3
Use dust control measures until dust is
controlled. If dust cannot be controlled
upgrade to Level C.
Observation Workers enter sheds or utility
buildings where rodents may
have nested; and workers may
disturb nesting materials or
rodent droppings.
Upgrade to Level C.
Observation Workers exhibit symptoms of
chemical exposure
Stop work. Evacuate area and contact
the HSM.