Estimating Personal Exposures Based on Mass Balance Material Usage Rates: Validation of a Ventilation Model in a Spray Paint Booth

The goal of this research was to evaluate an estimating model (box model) with direct measurements of contaminants in an industrial spray painting operation. The research involved a dilution ventilation efficiency experiment that was devised to estimate the effective ventilation rate, sampling for organic compounds (xylene, ethyl benzene, methyl ethyl ketone, and methyl isobutyl ketone) in a paint booth, and simultaneously measuring the mass usage of these compounds during painting operations in order to compare measured with predicted concentrations. The results of the dilution ventilation experiment indicated that channeling of air was occurring due to a high ventilation rate in the painting area. The results of the mass balance usage and air sampling comparisons indicated that predicted concentrations were within the 95% upper/lower confidence interval about the geometric mean in 14 out of 16 area samples taken within the paint booth (87.5%). Correlation analysis between predicted concentrations and area, personal, and exhaust stack concentrations were strongest with exhaust (r = 0.923). Correlations with personal concentrations were not as strong (r = 0.828), and the area concentrations were even less strong (0.757). In conclusion, the box model does appear to be a useful additional tool for estimating worker exposures. However, the characteristics of any particular ventilation system must be understood before modeling is conducted.