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U.S. Department of Energy
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Chemical characterization and toxicologic evaluation of airborne mixtures: generating, monitoring, and controlling petroleum aerosols for inhalation-chamber studies. Task summary report

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5740570

A system has been designed and built for generating, monitoring and controlling concentrated petroleum aerosols for an inhalation toxicology study of a diesel fuel aerosol such as is produced in the military vehicle engine exhaust smoke system (VEESS). The generator, an on-line light scattering particle monitor, and a spent aerosol clean up system are discussed. An addition to the exposed chambers to laminarize the flow to insure a homogeneous exposure atmosphere is also discussed. The design parameters are based on experience gained in the laboratory and in the course of a large scale inhalation toxicology experiment for the past two years. Aerosol concentrations from 0.25 to 20 mg/L (routinely to 6 mg/L) have been developed for periods up to six hours. The generators, the monitoring system, and the spent aerosol removal system have also been found effective for less volatile petroleum based obscurants such as Fog Oil. This report emphasizes the hardware and electronic control system; the characterization of the aerosol with respect to both its physical and chemical properties and a discussion of the toxicology have been presented elsewhere.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-26
OSTI ID:
5740570
Report Number(s):
ORNL/TM-8903; ON: DE84001447
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English