Miniature real-time and accumulated deep UV dosimeter for naphthalene exposure

Naphthalene has been identified as a serious health hazard for personnel working with JP8 and other fuels containing naphthalene. We proposed to develop a method for real time and accumulated dose measurement of exposure to naphthalene. The proposed method would employ a cell-phone-size naphthalene dosimeter (NaDos) “badge” to be worn by personnel potentially exposed to naphthalene. The badge would provide both real time detection and data logging of exposure to naphthalene as well as accumulation of the dose on an absorption bed which can be further analyzed for total accumulated dose when personnel return to their base at the end of a shift and insert the NaDos badge into a reader which would recover the accumulated dose as well as provide total dose measured using orthogonal methods. The NaDos “badge” would also be “refreshed” at the end of each work period. During the “refreshment” process, data accumulated by the badge in the field would be compared with data obtained during automated reprocessing of the badge to release naphthalene and other vapors accumulated in the absorption bed within the badge. This dosimeter employs subminiature optical detection methods with imbedded chemometric software to identify naphthalene and differentiate it from other vapor materials.