Comparative study of HEPA filter efficiencies when challenged with thermal- and air-jet-generated di-2-ethylhexyl sebecate, di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate, and sodium chloride

Technical Report · Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:5862167

Kerschner, III, H F; Ettinger, H J; DeField, J D; Beckman, R

Respirators fitted with high-efficiency particulate (HEPA) cartridge filters are designed to remove dust, fumes, mists, and airborne particulate radionuclides. If these filters are to be reused, a Quality Assurance (QA) program must be established to ensure that filter efficiency remains greater than 99.97%. The standard method for performing QA testing is to challenge the filter with a thermally generated aerosol of 0.3-..mu..m-diam di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP). Because of potential toxicological and other problems associated with the use of monodisperse DEHP, an investigation to study measured filter efficiencies on a HEPA respirator filter population, using several recommended replacement aerosols, has been conducted. Aerosols compared in this study were thermally generated di-2-ethylhexyl sebecate (DEHS), thermally generated DEHP, air-jet-generated DEHS, and air-jet-generated salt (NaCl). The study also focused on determining compatibility for parallel use of aerosols generated for respirator-fit testing for use in QA filter testing. Results indicate that a polydisperse air-jet-generated aerosol of DEHS can substitute for thermally generated DEHP as a method of providing QA testing of HEPA respirator filters and that equipment used in the study designed for respirator quantitative-fit testing can easily be modified to perform this function. 30 refs., 28 figs., 11 tabs.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 5862167
• Report Number(s): NUREG/CR-4111; LA-9985-MS; ON: TI85010353
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
AIR FILTERS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
AEROSOLS
EFFICIENCY
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
PHTHALATES
SEBACIC ACID
SODIUM CHLORIDES
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
CARBOXYLIC ACID SALTS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
COLLOIDS
DATA
DICARBOXYLIC ACIDS
DISPERSIONS
EQUIPMENT
FILTERS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION CONTROL EQUIPMENT
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SOLS
TESTING
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