Methods for Measuring Performance of Vehicle Cab Air Cleaning Systems Against Aerosols and Vapours

• Published in: The Annals of occupational hygiene Vol. 53; no. 4; pp. 441 - 447
• Main Authors: Bémer, D., Subra, I., Régnier, R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01.06.2009
• Subjects: aerosol; Aerosols; Agrochemicals; Air; Air Conditioning - instrumentation; Air Conditioning - methods; Air Pollutants, Occupational; Air Pollution - prevention & control; Biological and medical sciences; cab; Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases; Environmental Monitoring - instrumentation; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Environmental pollutants toxicology; Filtration - instrumentation; Filtration - methods; Gas, fumes; Humans; Medical sciences; Occupational Exposure - prevention & control; optical counter; Pharmaceutical Vehicles; Toxicology; tracing; Ventilation - instrumentation; Ventilation - methods; tracing; optical counter; cab; aerosol; Performance evaluation; Human; Vapor; Operation platform; Pressurizing; Prevention; Vehicle; Gases; Dust; Aerosols; Indoor pollution; Air pollution; Measurement method; Tracing; Occupational medicine
• ISSN: 0003-4878; 1475-3162; 1475-3162
• DOI: 10.1093/annhyg/mep024

Vehicle cabs equipped with an effective air cleaning and pressurization system, fitted to agricultural and off-road machineries, isolate drivers from the polluted environment, in which they are likely to work. These cabs provide protection against particulate and gaseous pollutants generated by these types of work activities. Two laboratory methods have been applied to determining the performance characteristics of two cabs of different design, namely, optical counting-based measurement of a potassium chloride (KCl) aerosol and fluorescein aerosol-based tracing. Results of cab confinement efficiency measurements agreed closely for these two methods implemented in the study. Measurements showed that high confinement efficiencies can be achieved with cabs, which are properly designed in ventilation/cleaning/airtightness terms. We also noted the importance of filter mounting airtightness, in which the smallest defect is reflected by significant degradation in cab performance. Determination of clean airflow rate by monitoring the decrease in test aerosol concentration in the test chamber gave excellent results. This method could represent an attractive alternative to methods involving gas tracing or air velocity measurement at blowing inlets.