EVALUATION OF 1-(9-ANTHRACENYLMETHYL) PIPERAZINE FOR THE ANALYSIS OF ISOCYANATES IN SPRAY-PAINTING OPERATIONS

A new reagent, 1-(9-anthracenylmethyl)piperazine (MAP), was used for t he derivatization of airborne 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) and polyisocyanates generated during spray-painting operations. The new r eagent, which offers enhanced sensitivity and uniformity of response t o both the monomeric and oligomeric forms of HDI, was corn pa red dire ctly with 1-(2-methoxyphenyl)piperazine (MOP),the currently employed d erivatizing reagent used in the National institute for Occupational Sa fety and Health Method 5521. Both the validity of the side-by-side sam pling protocol and the efficacy of two derivatizing reagents were eval uated in field studies. The analytical results indicate that there is no significant difference at the 95% confidence level in the concentra tion of polyisocyanate in the aerosol as determined by two impingers c ontaining MAP and a third containing MOP when these are positioned in a side-by-side-by-side arrangement.