METHODS FOR DETERMINING EXPOSURE TO LACQU ER AEROSOLS AND SOLVENT VAPORS DURING SPRAY PAINTING

Spray painting not only is an emission source of solvent vapours but a lso of aerosols, which contain solid lacquer elements such as pigments , fillers etc. and solvents. At present, there is no way of assessing workplaces in view of this aerosol exposure. On demand of some of its members, the sub-committee V ''limit values'' of the German hazardous substances committee (AGS) decided to investigate whether or not it wo uld be possible to define a technically founded limit value. To enable the necessary exposure measurements, suitable measuring methods were developed and comparatively tested in a joint effort by the BG Institu te for occupational safety - BIA, the Federal institute for occupation al health and safety and work medicine and the Institute for hazardous substances research of the Berufsgenossenschaft for the mining indust ry. The methods and results obtained in the test series are set out he reinafter.