Page:NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods - 1614.pdf/1

 ETHYLENE OXIDE

CH2(O)CH2

MW: 44.05

METHOD: 1614, Issue 2

OSHA : NIOSH: ACGIH:

CAS: 75-21-8

1614

RTECS: KX2450000

EVALUATION: FULL

1 ppm 0.1 ppm; C 5 ppm/10 min; carcinogen; Group I Pesticide 1 ppm; suspect carcinogen

Issue 1: 15 August 1987 Issue 2: 15 August 1994

PROPERTIES:

gas; d (liquid) 0.8694 g/mL @ 20 C; BP 10.7 C; MP 111 C; explosive limits 3 to 100% (v/v) in air

SYNONYMS: 1,2-epoxyethane; oxirane

SAMPLING SAMPLER:

MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUE:

GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY, ECD

ANALYTE:

2-bromoethylheptafluorobutyrate

FLOW RATE: 0.05 to 0.15 L/min

DESORPTION:

1 mL dimethylformamide; stand 5 min

VOL-MIN: 1 L @ 5 ppm -MAX: 24 L

INJECTION VOLUME:

SHIPMENT: SAMPLE STABILITY:

BLANKS:

SOLID SORBENT TUBE (HBr-coated petroleum charcoal, 100 mg/50 mg)

TEMPERATURE-INJECTION: -DETECTOR: -COLUMN:

routine

90% recovery after 17 days @ 25 C in the dark [3]

1 µL 200 C 300 C 100 C

CARRIER GAS:

5% CH4 in Ar, 25 mL/min

COLUMN:

3 m x 4 mm glass; 10% SP-1000 on 80/100 Chromosorb WHP

CALIBRATION:

standard solutions of 2-bromoethanol in dimethylformamide

RANGE:

2 to 42 µg ethylene oxide per sample

2 to 10 field blanks per set

ACCURACY RANGE STUDIED:

0.04 to 0.98 ppm (24-L samples) [1] 6.9% [1]

BIAS: OVERALL PRECISION ( ACCURACY:

rT):

ESTIMATED LOD: 1 µg EtO per sample [2] PRECISION ( r):

0.020 @ 18 to 71 µg EtO per sample [1]

0.062 [1] ±19%

APPLICABILITY: The working range is 0.05 to 4.6 ppm (0.08 to 8.3 mg/m3) for a 24-L air sample. The method is applicable to short-term (10-min) samples.

INTERFERENCES: 2-Bromoethanol, if present in the sample interferes. No other significant interferences have been found [1].

OTHER METHODS: This is a modification of OSHA Method 50 [1] and replaces NIOSH method 1607, which has smaller sample capacity, and S286 [3], which is useful for higher levels. Method 3702 (Ethylene Oxide by Portable GC) describes field-readable gas chromatography for the determination of ethylene oxide.

NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods (NMAM), Fourth Edition, 8/15/94