Hazardous Off-Gassing of Carbon Monoxide and Oxygen Depletion during Ocean Transportation of Wood Pellets
| Autor: | Urban Svedberg, Staffan Melin, Jerker Samuelsson |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2008 |
| Předmět: |
Canada
Pellets chemistry.chemical_element Poison control Air Pollutants Occupational Oxygen Methane Atmosphere chemistry.chemical_compound Carbon Monoxide Poisoning medicine exposure measurements Humans confined space Ships Sweden seamen Carbon Monoxide oxygen deficiency Spectroscopy Near-Infrared Waste management Carbon monoxide poisoning Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health emissions General Medicine Original Articles Carbon Dioxide medicine.disease Wood Hydrocarbons Ventilation chemistry Carbon dioxide Environmental science Safety Carbon monoxide Environmental Monitoring |
| Zdroj: | Annals of Occupational Hygiene |
| ISSN: | 1475-3162 0003-4878 |
| Popis: | Five ocean vessels were investigated for the characterization and quantification of gaseous compounds emitted during ocean transportation of wood pellets in closed cargo hatches from Canada to Sweden. The study was initiated after a fatal accident with several injured during discharge in Sweden. The objective with the investigation was to better understand the off-gassing and issues related to workers' exposure. Air sampling was done during transport and immediately before discharge in the undisturbed headspace air above the wood pellets and in the staircase adjacent to each hatch. The samples were analyzed with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and direct reading instruments. The following compounds and ranges were detected in samples from the five ships: carbon monoxide (CO) 1460-14650 ppm, carbon dioxide (CO2) 2960-21570 ppm, methane 79.9-956 ppm, butane equivalents 63-842 ppm, ethylene 2-21.2 ppm, propylene 5.3-36 ppm, ethane 0-25 ppm and aldehydes 2.3-35 ppm. The oxygen levels were between 0.8 and 16.9%. The concentrations in the staircases were almost as high as in the cargo hatches, indicating a fairly free passage of air between the two spaces. A potentially dangerous atmosphere was reached within a week from loading. The conclusions are that ocean transportation of wood pellets in confined spaces may produce an oxygen deficient atmosphere and lethal levels of CO which may leak into adjacent access spaces. The dangerous combination of extremely high levels of CO and reduced oxygen produces a fast-acting toxic combination. Measurement of CO in combination with oxygen is essential prior to entry in spaces having air communication with cargo hatches of wood pellets. Forced ventilation of staircases prior to entry is necessary. Redesign, locking and labeling of access doors and the establishment of rigorous entry procedures and training of onboard crew as well as personnel boarding ocean vessels are also important. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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