Monitoring exposure to organic solvents during conservation treatments

Alan Phenix <alan.phenix [at] unn__ac__uk> writes

>In preparation for a publication, I am trying to collect information
>on the levels of organic solvent vapours that may actually be
>generated in the air during various conservation treatments,
>particularly those in paintings conservation/restoration. ...

A simulated "painting conservator retouching at an easel using 1ml
B72 in xylene" gave me a Drager tube reading of 10ppm but I found
any more than 5mls xylene should not be used without very good
ventilation. That was just for the area I tested so may not be
relevant for someone else.The variables can be immense (room size
and shape,temperature, drafts, cumulative exposure, where exactly is
the line in the drager tube, etc) giving different results on repeat
testing so I can understand people not wishing to advise/commit
themselves in print because the measurements seem much less
scientific in practice than in theory.


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 17:39
                Distributed: Wednesday, October 29, 2003
                       Message Id: cdl-17-39-002
                                  ***