Calibration of Industrial Hygiene Instruments

David Silver, CIH

Industrial Hygiene Issues

Accurate & repeatable measurements. Analytical results and confidence limits. Uncover the mystery of annual calibrations. Field calibrations vs. annual calibrations.

Successful Outcomes
Confident that instruments are performing as they should. Results are accurate and repeatable. The analysis holds up to litigation. Accurate data provides a mean to establish effectiveness of controls
Ventilation Work practices

Presentation Outline
Calibration & metrology defined. Primary Standards. Uncertainty. How industrial hygiene instruments are calibrated.

Metrology Defined
Metrology establishes the international standards for measurement used by all countries in the world in both science and industry
Examples: distance, time, mass, temperature, voltage, values of physical and chemical constants

Significance of Metrology
Measurement & calibration procedures are essential for quality control. Quality minimize uncertainty in measurements. Quality control system
Direct reading instrument, sampling. Measurement or analysis. Results variability.

Quality Systems
Say what you do, do what you say.
Standard operating procedures (SOPs) Calibration Procedures Work instructions

International Standards Organization (ISO) ANSI Z540

Calibration Procedures
Performance requirements specs Measurement standards accuracy std Preliminary operations intrinsic safety Calibration process tolerances Calibration results- documentation Closing operation labeling Storage & handling to ensure accuracy

Time Line
Ancient Measurement need to standardize weights, weapons 732 A.D. King of Kent standard acre 1585 Decimal system in Europe 1824 George IV Weights & Measures Act 1958 All countries agree on length and mass

Measurement Philosophy
Standardization is paramount. True value of a dimension.
Speed of light, electron mass.

Absolute units are a foundation for standardization. Primary laboratories provide the standards that are closest to the true value. Has the least uncertainty.

Absolute Values
Electric constant Magnetic constant Speed of light in a vacuum Etc..

Clear Communication of Data

Scientific Data in units understandable to all in the scientific community. Allows for greater understanding, compliance with occupational, safety and health laws.

SI: The International System of Units

Seven base units: Length: meter (m) Mass: kilogram (kg) Time: second (s) Electric current: ampere (A) Thermodynamic temperature: Kelvin (K) Amount of substance: mole (mol) Luminous intensity: candela (cd) Lots of derived units: Area: m2 Speed: m/s Force: 1 Newton = 1 kgm/s2

Voltage: 1 volt = 1 m2kg/s3A

Frequency: 1 hertz = 1/s Power: 1 watt = 1 kgm2/s3

Electric Charge: 1 C = 1 As

Standards Accuracy
More accurate methods to measure a unit than intuitive common methods. Example 1 kilogram
Subjective hold in hand & guess weight. Pan or spring balance more accurate. Watt-balance even more accurate. Avogadros number - # of atoms in a kilogram, count them (not possible).

Clocks: Atomic time

One part per quadrillion accuracy!!!

Accurate frequency gives accurate distance and time.

Artifact vs. quantum standards:

A metal bar: 1889-1960

The modern meter:

The meter is the length of the path traveled by light in vacuum during a time interval of 1/299,792,458 of a second

The modern kilogram

The SI kilogram drifts!

Mass - possible replacements

Goal: 10 parts per billion accuracy

Avogadros number 6.0221415 1023

Watt-balance

Temperature: Kelvin, Celsius, and Fahrenheit

21 C 0C -196 C

70 F 32 F -321 F

294 K 273.15 K 77 K

Room temperature Water freezes Air liquefies

-269 C

-452 F

4.2 K

Helium liquefies

-273.15 C -459.67 F

0K

Absolute zero

The Kelvin: the SI unit

The Kelvin, unit of thermodynamic temperature, is the fraction 1/273.16 of the thermodynamic temperature of the triple point of water.

(0.006 atm)

Primary Laboratories

Most technologically advanced countries.

From Article I, section 8 of the U.S Constitution: The Congress shall have Power To fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

Traceability
Unbroken chain of comparison to national standard. Measure uncertainty for each step in the calibration chain. Documentation of procedures and results for each step in the chain. Competence of each lab performing calibrations.

Traceability
Reference to SI units (National Primary Laboratory). Re-calibration at appropriate intervals to ensure accuracy of test instruments.

Calibration Standards
National standard provides the basis for fixing a value. Primary standard highest metrological standard (NIST). Secondary based on comparisons to primary. Reference standard at a location (metrology labs with NIST calibrated stds).

Calibration Standards
Working standard a standard not reserved as a reference standard but intended to verify test equipment. Transfer standard the same as a reference standard and transfers a measurement parameter from one organization to another for traceability purposes.

Equipment Specifications
Tolerance a design feature that defines the limits of a quality characteristic. Specification defines the expected performance limits of a large group of identical test units.

Uncertainty
Goal minimize measurement uncertainty. Measurement validity depends on random distributions, fixed models, fixed variation and fixed distribution curves. Central tendency. Linear and non-linear interpolation.

Step 1: Determine the uncertainty contributors

Each element in the chain of calibration. Example soap film calibrator.
Dimensional volume. Timer. Operator start stop timer at bubble mark. Variable flow in air mover. Drag on soap bubble.

Step 2: Determine Contribution.

Dimensional error Type B buret is 6 ml/1000ml = 0.6%. Timer = +/1 one minute per year = negligible. Stop Start operator = +/- 0.5 seconds x 2 = 1 second. 10% for 10 second run. Variable flow in air mover = 0.1 lpm for 5 lpm pump = 2%.

95% Uncertainty
Combined standard deviation = sq.rt. (0.62 + 102 + 22) = 10.21 Uncertainty 95% = k * s = 2 * 10.21 = 20.42 % By using an electro-optical sensor we reduce the 10 % operator error.

Measurement Methods
Direct Differential Indirect Ratio Reciprocity Substitution Transfer

Direct
Direct Measurement that is in direct contact with the measurand and provides a value representative of the measurand as read from an indicating device. Example measuring electrode resistance of a moisture meter.

Differential
Differential A measurement made by comparing an unknown measurand with a standard. Example comparing reading from a heat stress monitor and compare to a NIST traceable thermometer.

Indirect
Indirect a measurement made of a nontargeted measurand that is used to determine the value of the targeted measurand. Example measuring the time a piston traverses a cylindrical volume in a piston prover and calculating flow.

Reciprocity
Reciprocity makes use of a transfer function relationship in comparing two or more measurement devices subject to the same measurand. Example determination of microphone sensitivity via the response of another microphone.

Substitution
Substitution using a known standard to establish a measurand value after the known standard is removed and the test unit is inserted to determine the test unit response. Example measuring weight using a single pan scale.

Transfer
Transfer an intermediate device used for conveying a known measurand value to an unknown test device. Example generating a known volume of gas to a test gas meter.

Industrial Hygiene Measurements

Flow bell prover, flow test stand, flow calibrator. Frequency time bases, frequency standards. Humidity environmental chamber, salts. Luminance calibrated light source. Temperature chamber, triple point of water.

Flow Calibration
Soap bubble meter.
Pump is attached to the top of a volumetric glass tube containing a small amount of liquid soap. While the air flow causes the soap film to move from one volume mark to another, the travel time is measured with a stopwatch. The flow rate can then be directly calculated using the travel time and the known tube volume. 2% per reading volumetric calibrations.

Flow Calibration
High-speed, hands-free measurements. 3 Cells 1% per reading volumetric calibrations.

Calibration of Flow Calibrators

Brooks Vol-U-Meter Precision bore borosilicate glass cylinder combined with photo-electric switches. Mercury O-ring piston seal is virtually frictionless. Accuracy = 0.2% of indicated volume.

Calibration of Velocity Meters

Wind Tunnels Laminar Flow Comparative Referent velocity pressure

Calibration of Heat Stress Monitors

Chamber cold/hot NIST traceable Instrulab platinum resistance thermometer

Platinum Resistance Thermometer

Platinum RTD sensor, 100 ohms. Instrument + sensor accuracy up to 0.08C. Resolution up to 0.01C. Wide range: -60 to +300C, -76F to +572F. Self-check calibration. Traceable to NIST.

Calibration of Sound Level Meters & Noise Dosimeters

ANSI Standards. Accuracy of dB measurements, response time and frequency. Anechoic Chamber

Acoustic Laboratory
Sound level meters, noise dosimeters, microphones, octave filters and microphones. Frequency response calibration of microphones using electrostatic and acoustical method Sensitivity calibration of microphones using the insert voltage method. Sound level meter calibration in ANSI 1.4 Test of fractional octave filters.

Calibration of Mass Concentration Meters

Arizona Road Dust Standard. Laminar flow chamber. Comparative Standard R&P 1400A

R&P 1400a
TSI 3400 Fluidized Aerosol Generator maintains Arizona road dust concentrations in laminar flow chamber. Particle Mass is proportional to frequency of tapered element. Highly precise and accurate. Mass calibration is NIST traceable.

Calibration of Optical Particle Counters

ASTM Standard Spherical Latex Particles Aerosol Generator Mini-Chamber Classifier. Bi-polar ion generator. Referent CNC / OPC.

Polymer Particle Standards

Duke Scientific's standards contains a Certificate of Calibration and Traceability to NIST which includes a description of the calibration method and its uncertainty, and a table of chemical and physical properties.

Calibration of Gas Meters

Canned Gas most common. Permeation gas advantages:
Long shelf life. Physical principals. Repeatable.

Permeation Tubes
Permeation devices provide a stable concentration of a specific trace chemical, including those with low vapor pressures. Calibration gas generators, used with their respective permeation devices, generate known concentrations of various gases and liquid vapors.