Evaluation of a passive dosimeter for collection of 2-bromo-2-chloro-1, 1, 1-trifluoroethane and 2-chloro-1, 1, 2-trifluoroethyl difluoromethyl ether in hospital operating rooms.

Operationally, passive dosimeters are ideally suited for monitoring organic vapors in hospital operating rooms as they are compact, lightweight and do not require tubing or pumps. In this study, a recently developed passive diffusion sampler was used to collect 2-bromo-2-chloro-1, 1, 1-trifluoroethane (Halothane) and 2-chloro-1, 1, 2-trifluoroethyl difluoromethyl ether (Enflurane) in standard air mixtures over the range of 0.2-10 ppm. Additionally, exposures to known concentrations were conducted for various lengths of time. A side-by-side comparison of charcoal tubes (CT) and passive dosimeter collection characteristics were made on known air mixtures and samples collected in operating rooms. The material adsorbed on charcoal from dosimeters and CT was desorbed with carbon disulfide and quantified using gas-liquid chromatography. The overall efficiency of the dosimeters along with quality control data are presented.