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U.S. Department of Energy
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Development of a low cost ethylene oxide detector. Phase 2. final report

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6893349

An effort was made to design, test and build a prototype ethylene-oxide (75218) (EtO) monitor for use in hospitals where exposure to EtO is possible during the sterilization of equipment. In the model, room air serves as the carrier gas. The device operated continuously as a direct reading instrument and consisted of a combustible trap and a dryer, a Teflon gas chromatography column, a solid state gas sensor and a programmable microcontroller to control various items throughout the cycle. EtO could be detected at a concentration of 0.2 parts per million (ppm). A digital concentration reading was updated every 2 minutes. Values of EtO concentration were computed and stored for 15 minutes and for determinations of the 8 hour time weighted average readings. It was anticipated that the commercial cost of the instrument would not exceed 5,000 dollars. It was also expected that the device would overcome the shortfalls of some of the commercial instruments now available in the area of interferences from other compounds.

Research Organization:
ADA Technologies, Inc., Englewood, CO (United States)
OSTI ID:
6893349
Report Number(s):
PB-93-159366/XAB; ADA--4276-92-F1; CNN: NIOSH-R01-OH-02662
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English