DETERMINATION OF CHLORINE AND CHLORINE DIOXIDE BY NON-SUPPRESSED ION CHROMATOGRAPHY AND APPLICATION TO EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT IN THE PAPER-INDUSTRY

A non-suppressed ion chromatography method for the determination of ch lorine and chlorine dioxide by their representative ions, chloride and chlorite, has been developed. The method utilizes a phosphate buffere d iodide solution for the absorption of chlorine and chlorine dioxide from air and conversion to their representative ions. Analysis is by n on-suppressed ion chromatography with a 1-hexane sulfonic acid, sodium salt mobile phase and detection by conductivity. The analytical detec tion limit was found to be 0.16 mu g/mL and 0.13 mu g/mL for chloride and chlorite, respectively. The method was adapted for use in a passiv e sampler and used to assess exposure to chlorine and chlorine dioxide at four pulp / paper mills. A total of 336 personal exposure samples were collected of which 25.2% had detectable levels of chlorine and 3. 9% had detectable levels of chlorine dioxide. For those samples with d etectable exposures, the overall geometric means and standard deviatio ns were GM = 38 ppb, sigma(g) = 2.5 and GM = 33 ppb, sigma(g) = 2.5, f or chlorine and chlorine dioxide, respectively.