SAMPLING AND ANALYSIS OF AIRBORNE RESIN ACIDS AND SOLVENT-SOLUBLE MATERIAL DERIVED FROM HEATED COLOPHONY (ROSIN) FLUX - A METHOD TO QUANTIFY EXPOSURE TO SENSITIZING COMPOUNDS LIBERATED DURING ELECTRONICS SOLDERING

Components of colophony (rosin) resin acids are sensitizers through de rmal and pulmonary exposure to heated and unheated material. Significa nt work in the literature identifies specific resin acids and their ox idation products as sensitizers. Pulmonary exposure to colophony sensi tizers has been estimated indirectly through formaldehyde exposure. To assess pulmonary sensitization from airborne resin acids, direct meas urement is desired, as the degree to which aldehyde exposure correlate s with that of resin acids during colophony heating is undefined, Any analytical method proposed should be applicable to a range of compound s and should also identify specific compounds present in a breathing z one sample. This work adapts OSHA Sampling and Analytical Method 58, w hich is designed to provide airborne concentration data for coal tar p itch volatile solids by air filtration through a glass fiber filter, s olvent extraction of the filter, and gravimetric analysis of the non-v olatile extract residue. In addition to data regarding total soluble m aterial captured, a portion of the extract may be subjected to compoun d-specific analysis. Levels of soluble solids found during personal br eathing zone sampling during electronics soldering in a Naval Aviation Depot ranged from below the ''reliable quantitation limit'' reported in the method to 7.98 mg/m(3), Colophony-spiked filters analyzed in ac cordance with the method (modified) produced a limit of detection for total solvent-soluble colophony solids of 10 mu g/filter. High perform ance liquid chromatography was used to identify abietic acid present i n a breathing zone sample.