Environmental Health & Industrial Hygiene Flashcards

What is OSHA's permissible exposure limit (PEL) for lead in general industry under 29 CFR 1910.1025?

Answer: 50 µg/m³ as an 8-hour TWA

OSHA's lead PEL in general industry is 50 µg/m³ as an 8-hour TWA, with an action level of 30 µg/m³ that triggers medical surveillance and air monitoring requirements.

What is the primary function of a noise dosimeter in an occupational health and safety program?

Answer: To measure a worker's cumulative personal noise exposure dose over a work shift

A noise dosimeter is worn by the worker throughout the shift to continuously monitor and record sound levels, calculating the cumulative noise dose for comparison to the 100% dose limit.

ACGIH uses the 'Skin' notation next to a TLV to communicate what important information to industrial hygienists?

Answer: The substance can be significantly absorbed through the skin, contributing to total body burden

The ACGIH 'Skin' notation alerts industrial hygienists that skin absorption can contribute significantly to total systemic exposure, meaning air sampling alone may underestimate the true dose.

Under OSHA's HazCom 2012 standard (aligned with GHS), how many standardized sections must a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) contain?

Answer: 16 sections

OSHA's HazCom 2012 requires SDS to follow a standardized 16-section format covering identification, hazard information, composition, first aid, PPE, physical/chemical properties, and more.

The ALARA principle in radiation protection requires that occupational radiation exposures be kept:

Answer: As low as reasonably achievable, considering economic and social factors

ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) requires minimizing radiation exposure through time, distance, and shielding while recognizing the practical and economic constraints of each workplace.

Per NIOSH Method 7400, which filter media is specified for collecting personal air samples for asbestos fiber counting using phase contrast microscopy (PCM)?

Answer: Mixed cellulose ester (MCE) filter, 0.8 µm pore size

NIOSH Method 7400 specifies 25mm MCE filters with 0.8 µm pore size for asbestos sampling because the filter dissolves with acetone during sample preparation, creating a transparent substrate for PCM fiber counting.

Biological monitoring is considered superior to air monitoring for certain chemical exposures primarily because it:

Answer: Measures the actual dose that has entered the body via all routes of exposure including skin and ingestion

Biological monitoring measures biomarkers in blood, urine, or exhaled air to assess total body burden from all exposure routes (inhalation, dermal, ingestion), unlike air monitoring which captures only the inhalation component.