DIRECT-READING PERSONAL MONITOR FOR VINYL CHLORIDE

This Small Business Innovation Research project addresses the development of a direct-reading personal monitor for detecting vinyl chloride vapors in the workplace. Research studies to be performed during Phase I will include the development of a novel chemical sensor and its integration with a micro controller-based instrument. The proposed monitor will provide both continuous and time-weighted average data of vinyl chloride exposures to accurately manage risks associated with workers that manufacture vinyl chloride and polyvinyl chloride as well as those that fabricate industrial and consumer products from polyvinyl chloride, or vinyl, resins. At the present time, vinyl chloride is listed as the fourth most hazardous substance by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and the Environmental Protection Agency. Direct-reading personal monitors to be developed during the proposed project will help minimize chemical exposures to vinyl chloride as employees are made aware of risks and as employers strive to provide safer workplaces. These innovative monitors will enable precise exposure assessments to support epidemiologic studies, practical measurement techniques that can be applied at reasonable cost in the workplace, and validated methods for measuring relevant exposure and total dose data.