CIH CIH Industrial Hygiene Sampling & Monitoring 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary purpose of personal air sampling in industrial hygiene?
- To assess ambient outdoor air quality
- To measure worker exposure to airborne contaminants in the breathing zone (Correct answer)
- To evaluate equipment emission rates
- To monitor community pollution levels
Correct answer: To measure worker exposure to airborne contaminants in the breathing zone
Personal air sampling measures contaminant concentrations in the worker's breathing zone to assess actual inhalation exposure.
Question 2: Which OSHA regulation establishes permissible exposure limits (PELs) for air contaminants in general industry?
- 29 CFR 1910.119
- 29 CFR 1910.1000 (Correct answer)
- 29 CFR 1926.55
- 29 CFR 1910.134
Correct answer: 29 CFR 1910.1000
29 CFR 1910.1000 (Table Z) establishes OSHA's PELs for air contaminants in general industry workplaces.
Question 3: A time-weighted average (TWA) exposure is calculated over what standard period for OSHA compliance?
- 4 hours
- 6 hours
- 8 hours (Correct answer)
- 10 hours
Correct answer: 8 hours
OSHA PELs are based on an 8-hour TWA, representing a standard workday exposure.
Question 4: Which sampling method uses a sorbent tube to collect organic vapor samples for laboratory analysis?
- Impinger sampling
- Filter cassette sampling
- Charcoal tube sampling (Correct answer)
- Real-time photoionization
Correct answer: Charcoal tube sampling
Charcoal tubes contain activated charcoal that adsorbs organic vapors for subsequent solvent desorption and GC analysis.
Question 5: What is the recommended NIOSH analytical method reference for determining which sampling and analytical approach to use?
- ACGIH TLV booklet
- NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods (NMAM) (Correct answer)
- EPA Methods compendium
- OSHA Technical Manual
Correct answer: NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods (NMAM)
The NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods (NMAM) provides validated sampling and analytical procedures for occupational exposure assessment.
Question 6: When conducting area air sampling, where should the sampler ideally be placed?
- Near the building HVAC return
- At a fixed location representative of worker exposure zones (Correct answer)
- Outside the facility for background reference
- At the highest elevation in the work area
Correct answer: At a fixed location representative of worker exposure zones
Area samplers should be positioned in locations representative of where workers spend significant time to capture meaningful exposure data.
CIH CIH Industrial Hygiene Sampling & Monitoring 1
What is the primary purpose of personal air sampling in industrial hygiene?