Improved Respirator Carbons for Ammonia Hazards

改进呼吸器碳以应对氨危害

• 批准号: 9139745
• 负责人: GIRISH SRINIVAS
• 金额: $ 15万
• 依托单位: TDA RESEARCH, INC.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-09-15 至 2017-09-15
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9139745
• 关键词: Improved; Respirator; Carbons; Ammonia; Hazards

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): TDA Research, Inc. (TDA), proposes to develop new types of activated carbons to protect the more than 700,000 agricultural workers, who according to the CDC are at risk from exposure to toxic levels of ammonia. In addition to agricultural workers, fire fighters, first responders and chemical industry personal are also at risk. OSHA rates 300 ppmv NH3 in air as Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health (IDLH). Levels of 150 ppmv have led to permanent scarring of lung tissue causing chronic respiratory illness. Ammonia readily dissolves in water and damages moist tissues of the body, and especially the eyes. Initial eye-tissue damage and necrosis caused by ammonia is often followed by conjunctivitis and secondary eye infection. Chronic exposure to even 6 ppmv has caused eye damage and temporary blindness, and high levels have caused permanent blindness. In poorly-ventilated buildings of the over 257,000 Animal Feeding Operations (AFO) and the over 15,500 Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO), for example, NH3 levels routinely exceed 50 ppmv, and with low winter-ventilation rates, agricultural workers are often exposed to 100-200 ppmv. Advocates of public health are recommending that children down-wind of ammonia-releasing operations should not be exposed to more than 300 ppbv NH3 in air. Hitherto, workers have relied on respirators incorporating activated carbons produced from pyrolysis of coconut shell-a technology developed for World War I gas masks. However, the best of these has recently been discontinued, leaving manufacturers of ammonia respirators scrambling and with a critical need for new supplies of activated carbons that are specific for use in ammonia respirators. Most off-the-shelf activated carbons, designed for other purposes, are ineffective for NH3 uptake. Staff at TDA has over 20 years of experience in the design of specialty sorbents, supplying over 100 metric tons per year to customers, worldwide. In preliminary studies, TDA has demonstrated that a treated activated carbon performs significantly better for NH3 uptake compared to activated carbons now currently available. In Phase I, the carbons will be optimized for NH3 uptake. In Phase II, carbons will be scaled up for commercialization.

 描述（由适用提供）：TDA Research，Inc。（TDA），开发新型的活性碳的建议，以保护超过70万名农业工人，根据疾病预防控制中心，这些工人面临着暴露于氨水的毒性水平的风险。除了农业工人外，消防员，急救人员和化学工业个人也处于危险之中。 OSHA在空气中的300 ppmv NH3对生命与健康（IDLH）立即危险。 150 ppmv的水平导致肺组织永久性疤痕，导致慢性呼吸道疾病。氨很容易溶于水，并损坏身体的湿组织，尤其是眼睛。最初的眼神损伤和由氨引起的坏死通常是结膜炎和继发性眼部感染。长期暴露于6 ppmv会导致眼睛损伤和暂时失明，高水平导致永久失明。例如，在超过257,000个动物喂养操作（AFO）和15,500多个集中动物喂养操作（CAFO）的建筑物中，NH3水平通常超过50 ppmv，并且冬季通风率较低，农业工作者通常会暴露于100-200 ppmv。公共卫生的拥护者建议，释放氨操作的儿童不应在空中暴露于300多个PPBV NH3。迄今为止，工人一直依靠呼吸器，增加了椰子壳的热解产生的活性碳-A壳技术，该技术为第一次世界大战的气罩开发了。但是，其中最好的最近已经停产，这使氨呼吸器的制造商争先恐后，并且至关重要的是对用于氨呼吸器的新型活性碳供应的需求。用于其他目的的大多数现成的活性碳无效 NH3吸收。 TDA的员工在特殊排序的设计方面拥有20多年的经验，每年为全球客户提供超过100公吨的经验。在初步研究中，TDA表明，与目前可用的活化碳相比，经过治疗的活性碳对NH3摄取的性能明显更好。在第一阶段，碳将针对NH3摄取进行优化。在第二阶段，碳将进行缩放以进行商业化。