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34 Development of Workplace Guidelines for Emerging Energy Technologies O T T O WHITE, JR.

Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973

Downloaded by NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIV on January 7, 2013 | http://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: April 2, 1981 | doi: 10.1021/bk-1981-0149.ch034

DANIEL LILLIAN U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC 20545 Most of the papers presented at this symposium addressed improving sampling methodologies and new analytical procedures for assessing exposure to compounds and agents for which permissible exposure limits currently exist. It is recognized that there are approximately 500 compounds that the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienist (1) has developed exposure limits and that the NIOSH Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances (2) list approximately 34,000 individual toxic compounds. The Department of Energy (DOE) has recognized that additional safety and health protection is needed for employees developing new energy technologies and that it is essential to develop in-house interim exposure limits for hazardous agents that may be associated with these technologies. Proposed structural models for base materials associated with new energy technologies such as bituminous coal (Figure 1) and kerogen (Figure 2) from oil shale illustrate the potential capability of producing a myriad of toxic chemical compounds. Therefore, DOE support efforts led to the establishment of the Center for Assessment of Chemical and Physical Hazards (CACPH) at Brookhaven National Laboratory. CACPH i s designed to provide broadbase i n d u s t r i a l hygiene support functions f o r the DOE community and has, as i t s primary f u n c t i o n s , the timely development of i n t e r i m exposure l i m i t s . Safety and h e a l t h needs f o r the Department of Energy comes from new energy technologies, but a l s o from new s c i e n t i f i c data, unusual occurrences, DOE consultants and inadequate e x i s t i n g standards (Figure 3 ) . A Toxic M a t e r i a l Advisory Committee (TMAC) e x i s t s a t DOE and c o n s i s t s of members of the DOE headquarter s s t a f f who a r e p a r t i c u l a r l y q u a l i f i e d to address s a f e t y and h e a l t h issues r e l a t i n g to the uses of hazardous m a t e r i a l s . The purpose of t h i s committee i s to provide t e c h n i c a l and programmatic overview and d i r e c t i o n s to CACPH and to ensure maximum and e f f e c t i v e u t i l i z a t i o n of t h i s support program. TMAC meets three times a year and f u n c t i o n s to review requests f o r h e a l t h and safety a s s i s t a n c e , to e s t a b l i s h p r i o r i t i e s f o r developing i n t e r i m 1

0097-6156/81/0149-0543$05.00/0 © 1981 American Chemical Society

In Chemical Hazards in the Workplace; Choudhary, G.; ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1981.

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Figure 2.

Proposed structural model for kerogen (oil shale)

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g u i d e l i n e s , to evaluate d r a f t i n t e r i m g u i d e l i n e s f o r t e c h n i c a l q u a l i t y and impact on the DOE community, to make d e c i s i o n s on a c c e p t a b i l i t y of program documents f o r use as DOE i n t e r i m g u i d e l i n e s and to make recommendations t o DOE s, the A s s i s t a n t Secretary f o r Environment. An a d d i t i o n a l f u n c t i o n f o r TMAC i s to assess the need f o r research as recommended by CACPH and make appropriate recommendations to the a f f e c t e d Department of Energy program d i r e c t o r s . Immediately a f t e r r e c e i v i n g the formal request, CACPH procedes to assess both the published and unpublished l i t e r a t u r e to f a c i l i t a t e a p p r o p r i a t e e v a l u a t i o n of the r e l e v a n t h e a l t h and s a f e t y data and to develop i n t e r i m standards f o r s p e c i f i c agents (Figure 4 ) . Concurrently, CACPH informs the CACPH Advisory Panel of the task. The CACPH Advisory Panel c o n s i s t s of 10 a c t i v e members, s c i e n t i s t s from Brookhaven and the State U n i v e r s i t y of Stony Brook with e x p e r t i s e i n chemistry, b i o l o g y , medicine, p u b l i c h e a l t h , t o x i c o l o g y , pathology, epidemiology and i n d u s t r i a l hygiene and three corresponding members i n c l u d i n g the A s s o c i a t e D i r e c t o r f o r Chemistry, Biology, Medicine and Safety at the Laboratory. Immediate access e x i s t s to these d i s t i n q u i s h e d s c i e n t i s t s f o r CACPH s s t a f f , thereby f a c i l i t a t i n g meaningful and timely c o n s u l t a t i o n . In i d e n t i f y i n g published l i t e r a t u r e , CACPH s s t a f f not only assesses secondary l i t e r a t u r e sources such as Chemical A b s t r a c t s and B i o s i s , but a l s o i d e n t i f i e s and u t i l i z e s computerized data base systems which c o n t a i n r e l e v a n t s a f e t y and h e a l t h information such as Medlar, Dialog and DOE-RECON. These secondary l i t e r a t u r e sources i d e n t i f y the primary l i t e r a t u r e sources ( r e p o r t s , journals and books) which c o n t a i n the appropriate safety and h e a l t h i n f o r m a t i o n . The type of information that CACPH s s t a f f r e t r i e v e s i n c l u d e s chemical p r o p e r t i e s , p h y s i c a l p r o p e r t i e s , toxi c o l o g i c a l data, environmental e f f e c t s , sampling methods, s t o r age, handling and shipping requirements and medical treatments. Unpublished l i t e r a t u r e and information are assessed by cont a c t i n g DOE and DOE c o n t r a c t o r ' s h e a l t h and safety personnel, non-DOE safety and h e a l t h personnel, c o n s u l t a n t s , i n d u s t r y and union r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s and by performing s i t e v i s i t s to users and manufacturers. A L i a i s o n Group has been formed to provide formal contact with a number of agencies, unions, and s c i e n t i f i c and t e c h n i c a l s o c i e t i e s which generate h e a l t h and safety i n f o r m a t i o n . The L i a i s o n Group serves f o r s e v e r a l purposes: avoids d u p l i c a t i o n s , ensures a v a i l a b i l i t y of key personnel from the l i a i s o n agency, and a s s i s t s i n the independent review of CACPH s documents. The Department of Energy recognized that p u b l i s h i n g s a f e t y and h e a l t h data which describes safe v s . non-safe c o n d i t i o n s f o r m a t e r i a l s which do not have c u r r e n t exposure l i m i t s would have some impact outside i t s community. These l i a i s o n s have been key elements f o r ensuring s c i e n t i f i c


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soundness, minimizing d u p l i c a t i n g e f f o r t s , but a l s o a s s u r i n g that CACPH does not upsurp the a c t i v i t i e s of other regulatory agencies which have the s p e c i f i c l e g i s l a t i v e r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s i n t h i s area. A f t e r assessing the t e c h n i c a l l i t e r a t u r e , a summary document (Figure 5) of the b i o l o g i c a l e f f e c t s data i s prepared f o r review by CACPH Advisory Panel and TMAC. T h i s review r e s u l t s i n a recommendation to d r a f t a Toxic M a t e r i a l Advisory report which contains an i n t e r i m exposure l i m i t i n a d d i t i o n a l p e r t i n e n t h e a l t h and s a f e t y requirements. The d r a f t Toxic M a t e r i a l Advisory report i s then reviewed by independent c o n s u l t a n t s . These consultants attend a 1-2 day meeting to evaluate the document and the appropriateness of the i n t e r i m exposure l i m i t . The independency of the review meeting i s assured by having one of CACPH Advisory Panel member c h a i r the committee to ensure that the review process proceeds i n an o r d e r l y manner. CACPH s s t a f f p a r t i c i p a t i o n a t t h i s meeting i s only to provide overview on the information that i s a v a i l a b l e for review. The independent consultant group can recommend c o n t i n u a t i o n of the process to develop a r e v i s e d Toxic M a t e r i a l Advisory Report o r recommend research and development needs that could include the types of t o x i c o l o g i c a l studies that would be required i n order to develop an i n t e r i m exposure l i m i t . I f positive recommendations are obtained a t t h i s storage, the d r a f t report i s then subjected to f u r t h e r r e v i s i o n (Figure 6) p r i o r to submittal for comments t o DOE TMAC, DOE s a f e t y and h e a l t h personnel, l i a i son groups, i n d u s t r y r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s , independent c o n s u l t a n t s , and CACPH Advisory Panel. The r e s u l t i n g comments are considered, and s e v e r a l d r a f t s are generated p r i o r to a p r e - f i n a l Toxic M a t e r i a l Advisory report being presented to TMAC. This report then r e c e i v e s a f i n a l review by the Department of Energy's Toxic M a t e r i a l Advisory Committee, and i f appropriate, i s recommended f o r dissemination (Figure 7 ) . F i n a l dissemination of the report could include a recommendation to develop a consensus standard, i n c l u s i o n i n DOE Manual Chapter, issuance as a DOE Order, and i n c l u s i o n i n DOE c o n t r a c t s . F i n a l l y a l i s t of p o t e n t i a l candidate agents (Table I) has been prepared f o r which the Center may be requested to develop i n t e r i m exposure l i m i t s and Toxic M a t e r i a l Advisory Reports. As the country becomes more energy independent by developing comm e r c i a l c a p a b i l i t i e s i n the new energy technology areas, subs t a n t i a l q u a n t i t i e s of t o x i c agents and p o t e n t i a l exposure s i t u a t i o n s w i l l warrant the a t t e n t i o n of r e g u l a t o r y agencies to develop h e a l t h and s a f e t y requirements. Meanwhile, CACPH w i l l continue to provide t h i s type of advance h e a l t h and s a f e t y support to the DOE Community. 1

American Chemical Society Library 1155 16th St. N. w . In Chemical Hazards in the0. Workplace; Choudhary, G.; Washington, 6, 20036

ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1981.

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Figure 5. Development of draft Toxic Material Advisory report

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2-MERCAPTOETHANOL COAL DUST SHALE OIL EMISSION UV PLUS POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS NITROGEN HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS LOW LEVEL CARCINOGENS FLYASH SKIN CONTAMINATION PHENOLIC COMPOUNDS FIBERGLASS CHLOROSILANES BORON TRICHLORIDE ORGANIC CD SALTS TRIMETHYL GALLIUM ANTIMONY HYDRIDE CARBON TETRAFLUORIDE VIBRATIONS MAGNETIC FIELDS DIOCTYL PHTHALATE ELECTROSTATIC FIELDS ASBESTOS IN PUBLIC BUILDINGS EXPOSURE STANDARDS FOR FERTILE WOMEN


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Abstract The Center f o r Assessment of Chemical and P h y s i c a l Hazards (CACPH) has been e s t a b l i s h e d to f a c i l i t a t e timely development of i n t e r i m exposure g u i d e l i n e s f o r chemical and p h y s i c a l occupational and environmental hazards which are uniquely associated with a c t i v i t i e s of the Department of Energy. CACPH has been s t a f f e d and equipped to respond to the changing and demanding needs o f t e n associated with emerging energy technologies such as c o a l conversion, o i l shale, s o l a r ( p h o t o v o l t a i c ) , geothermal and wind. These g u i d e l i n e s are e s s e n t i a l to h e a l t h and s a f e t y p r o f e s s i o n a l s responsible f o r assessment and c o n t r o l of workplace hazards. A system has been developed which u t i l i z e s the e x p e r t i s e and experience of reputable s c i e n t i s t s to ensure that the g u i d e l i n e s generated represent sound science. A d d i t i o n a l l y , a pool of consultants from i n d u s t r y , l a b o r , academia, and government has been e s t a b l i s h e d to provide independent review.

Literature Cited 1. American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, Threshold Limit Values for Chemical Substances in Workroom Air, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1979. 2. U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1979. RECEIVED October 27,

1980.


Development of Workplace Guidelines for ... - ACS Publications

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