PORTABLE FOURIER-TRANSFORM INFRARED SPECTROMETER FOR USE AS A GAS ANALYZER IN INDUSTRIAL-HYGIENE

A portable, real-time, gas analyser (GASMET), based on the Fourier tra nsform infrared (FTIR) principle, was compared with the adsorption tub e method in four factories using organic solvent mixtures, The usefuln ess of the gas analyser data was also evaluated from the point of view of preventive measures, The gas analyser incorporates the use of a lo w-resolution FTIR spectrometer, a 486 computer and a temperature-contr olled gas cell, The gas analyser was calibrated with the expected pure compounds and solvent mixtures in different concentrations, CALCMET s oftware based on a modified classical least-squares lineshape fitting is used for the identification and quantification of compounds, The ty pical detection limit of the gas analyser is about 1 mg m(-3), The cor relation of the total hygienic effect between the gas analyser and the adsorption tubes was good (correlation coefficient = 0.978). With sma ll concentrations of some single compounds, some discrepancy occurs be tween the results obtained with the two methods, Continuous monitoring with the gas analyser reveals the worktasks with exposure peaks and m akes precise preventive measures possible.