Industry-wide review of potential worker exposure to 1,3-butadiene during chemical manufacturing and processing as a reactant

Figures & data

Figure 1. Components of exposure data collection template.

Figure 2. Full-shift job groups and workplace operational conditions.

Figure 3. Short-term task designations, durations, and operational conditions.

Table 1. Summary of full-shift personal air concentrations—Routine operations.

Job Group	N Samples	% Non- Detects	% DL < 0.1 ppm	Full-Shift Personal Air Concentrations (ppm)—Kaplan Meier Statistics
				Min	50th	90th	95th	KM-Mean	SE	95LCL Mean	95UCL Mean	Max
Infrastructure/Distribution Operations	455	78%	72%	0.006	NA	0.21	0.45	0.12	0.038	0.045	0.19	16.4
Instrument and Electrical	313	91%	63%	0.008	NA	0.021	0.16	0.068	0.033	0.003	0.13	10.0
Laboratory Technician	215	73%	86%	0.006	NA	0.12	0.25	0.063	0.016	0.031	0.094	2.93
Machinery and Specialists Group	222	80%	97%	0.008	NA	0.060	0.28	0.087	0.023	0.042	0.13	3.31
Maintenance	354	69%	46%	0.001	NA	0.23	0.24	0.11	0.010	0.089	0.13	2.10
Occupational Non-User	39	77%	100%	0.008	NA	0.013	0.033	0.012	0.001	0.010	0.014	0.038
Operations Onsite	1952	88%	85%	0.0001	0.001	0.037	0.19	0.074	0.016	0.043	0.11	16.0
Safety Health and Engineering	21	71%	100%	0.038	NA	0.19	0.36	0.16	0.036	0.087	0.23	0.78
Missing Job Group Designation	378	94%	91%	0.002	NA	NA	0.037	0.024	0.004	0.016	0.032	1.3

Table 2. Distributions of detection limits for short-term and task samples by sample duration.

Task	N Non-Detects	DL [<0.1 ppm]	DL [0.1–<0.5 ppm]	DL [0.5–<1 ppm]	DL [1–<5 ppm]	DL [> = 5 ppm]
Sample Duration < =15 minutes
Unloading and Loading	40	10%	55%	13%	23%	0%
Handling of Waste	7	14%	71%	0%	14%	0%
Cleaning and Maintaining Equipment	81	1%	65%	25%	7%	1%
Sampling and Analysis	167	17%	37%	37%	10%	0%
Performing Other Work	22	0%	82%	14%	5%	0%
Sample Duration >15 minutes
Unloading and Loading	71	11%	54%	11%	24%	0%
Handling of Waste	9	22%	33%	22%	22%	0%
Cleaning and Maintaining Equipment	109	19%	50%	15%	16%	1%
Sampling and Analysis	210	15%	62%	22%	0%	0%
Performing Other Work	17	24%	71%	0%	6%	0%

Table 3. Summary of short-term and task personal air concentrations—Routine operations.

Task Code	Sample Duration (minutes)	N Samples	% Non-Detects	Short-Term Personal Air Concentrations (ppm)—Kaplan Meier Statistics
				Min	50th	90th	95th	KM-Mean	SE	95LCL Mean	95UCL Mean	Max
Unloading & Loading	< =15	89	45	0.04	1.0	8.1	17	2.7	0.52	1.7	3.7	26
	>15	158	45	0.02	0.73	8.0	18	3.6	0.77	2.1	5.1	89
Handling Waste	< =15	7	100	0.06	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	1.6
	>15	10	90	0.08	NA	0.69	0.69	0.69	NA	NA	NA	3.7
Cleaning & Maintaining Equipment	< =15	102	80	0.06	NA	2.7	15	3.9	1.4	1.1	6.7	120
	>15	159	73	0.02	0.06	2.6	8.3	1.8	0.77	0.28	3.3	110
Sample Collection & Analysis	< =15	187	89	0.03	NA	0.51	1.3	0.52	0.04	0.44	0.59	4.8
	>15	237	89	0.02	NA	0.36	2.10	0.49	0.12	0.25	0.74	18.0
Performing Other Tasks	< =15	31	71	0.2	0.20	0.54	2.1	0.49	0.22	0.06	0.92	6.5
	>15	21	81	0.02	NA	0.17	3.7	0.49	0.31	−0.11	1.1	4.7

Table 4. Summary respiratory protection used during task activities.

Task	1,3-BD Workplace air concentration ranges (ppm) reported with respirator use
	Supplied Air	Full-Face APR	Half-Face APR	No Respirator
Unloading & Loading	<0.118–89	<0.06–36	<0.05–2.2	–
Handling Waste	–	<0.25–<3.7	<0.08–<0.1	–
Cleaning & Maintaining Equipment	<0.15–120	<0.02–110	<0.04–<0.7	<0.4–<0.7
Sampling Collection & Analysis	<0.52	<0.06–12	<0.09–7.3	<0.02–4.8
Performing Other Tasks	0.27–4.7	<0.24–<0.42	<0.2–<0.3	<0.39–<0.67

Note: APR = air-purifying respirator.