Workplace or process | Specific work process with high level of exposure | Substance measured | Mean air concentration in ppm if not given otherwise (% of 8h-OEL)* | Maximum air concentration in ppm if not given otherwise (% of 8h-OEL)* |
Piggery I | Sludge handling, piglet department and open shed | Ammonia (NH3) | 6.6 (33) | 37 (187) |
H2S | NA | 4 (80) | ||
Endotoxins | 9500 EU/m3 (10 500) | NA | ||
Piggery II | Farrowing department, sludge handling and open shed | Ammonia (NH3) | 1.1–16 mg/m3 (9–114) | NA |
H2S | >2.5 (50) | 14 (280) | ||
Cowshed | Cleaning and emptying sludge pipe and basin | Ammonia (NH3) | 10–20 (50–100) | 214 (>000) |
H2S | 5 (100) | 20 (400) | ||
Poultry rearing house | Inspection and occupational hygiene measurement | Ammonia (NH3) | 60–80 (300–400) | NA |
Meat packing | Packing chicken meat and cleaning packing line | Ammonia (NH3)† | 10–150 (50–750) | 260 (1300) |
Pudding production | Long-lasting and repeated high exposure in normal work | Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)† | 1.1 (110) | 4.4 (440) |
Potato flour factory | Washing potatos | Endotoxins | 1900 EU/m3 (2100) | NA |
Foodstuff production | Handling malt | Endotoxins | 25 000 EU/m3 (28 000) | NA |
Electroplating | High exposure to acid fumes and nickel especially during night shifts when air conditioning switched off | Nickel in air (Ni) | 0.095 mg/m3 (950) | NA |
Nickel in urine (biomonitoring) | U-Ni 2,2 mmol/L (170) | NA | ||
Hot-zinc coating plant | Work near acid baths and hot zinc-coating fumes | Hydrochloric acid | 0.78–6.4 mg/m3 (10–84)‡ | NA |
Formaldehyde (CH2O) | 0.324 (108) | NA | ||
Metal production plant | Working near wet precipitation processes utilising hydrogen sulfide (H2S) | H2S† | repeatedly >10 (200) | NA |
Copper and nickel smelters (abroad) | Maintenance campaigns in several old-fashioned copper and nickel smelters abroad | Sulfur dioxide (SO2)† | NA | 40–120 (800–2400) |
Metal mine | Working above precipitation tank where H2S gas was bubbled through metal solutions | H2S† | NA | weekly >20 (>400) |
Loading of calcium oxide powder | Dust (alkaline) | >30 mg/m3 (>300) | NA | |
Chemical plant | Process work in different stages of sulfuric acid production | Sulfur dioxide (SO2) | 0.6–2.98 mg/m3 (46–230) | 1.5–13.4 mg/m3 (115–1040) |
Fertiliser plant | Cleaning of process blockages with high-pressure cleaner and chipping hammer | Hydrofluoric acid | 0.45–8.7 mg/m3 (30–580) | NA |
Phosphoric acid | 0.14–0.51 mg/m3 (14–51) | NA | ||
H2SO4 | 0.034–0.068 mg/m3 (68–136) | NA | ||
Chemical plant | Packing titanium dioxide powder coated with sulfuric acid (H2SO4) | Dust (acidic) | 16.9 mg/m3 (169) | 71.8 mg/m3 (718) |
Bioethanol plant | 3 days period cleaning large area of biomass and contaminated insulation | Endotoxins | 0.26–340 EU/m3 | NA |
Pulp mill I | Handling process disturbances at pulp digester and bleaching unit | Hydrogen sulfide (H2S)† | Daily >5 (>100) | NA |
ClO2† | Daily >0.1 (>100) | 0.93 (930) | ||
Pulp mill I, outside | Handling wood chip raw material outside and in a storage tunnel | H2S† | 7 (140) | NA |
Pulp mill II | Process leak of chlorodioxide (ClO2) solution to an open channel on the floor | ClO2† | 0.69 (690) | NA |
Power plant I | Accidents such as collapse of 150–300-ton silo when loading ash | Dust (alkaline) | 3.4 mg/m3 (34) | NA |
Power plant II | Opening wood chip tanks in connection with process disturbances | Endotoxins | 1500 EU/m3 (1700) | NA |
Tunnel construction | Concentration of diesel exhaust from tunnel cleaning machine due to ventilation being switched off | Nitrogen oxides† | >100 (400)§ | NA |
Thermal preservation of wood | Period with technical problems due to which wool piles had to be moved by hand into drying oven | CH2O | 0.03–0.19 mg/m3 (8-51) | 0.56 mg/m3 (150) |
Acetic acid (CH3COOH) | 0.91–7.15 mg/m3 (7–55) | NA | ||
Formic acid (HCOOH) | 0.4–1.2 mg/m3 (8–24) | NA | ||
Terpenes (wood VOC) | 4.2 ̶ 21 mg/m3 (3–15) | 218 mg/m3 (156) | ||
Veneer log processing with chemicals | Working in log incubator plant | H2S† | NA | 20–60 (400–1200) |
Processing PVC- fabrics | Heat seaming of large PVC-impregnated fabrics, air conditioning problems | Total VOC | 3–5 mg/m3 | 6.5 mg/m3 |
Some measurements conducted by trained occupational hygienist and some by respective company’s own follow-up.
*Finnish OEL and if not set, other relevant European OEL.
†Measurements company’s own follow-up by online gas detectors etc.
‡Only short-term (15 min) OEL set.
§Company-defined exposure limit for total oxides of nitrogen was 25 mg/m3.
EU, endotoxin unit; NA, not available; OEL, occupational exposure limit; PVC, polyvinyl chloride; VOC, volatile organic compounds.