Introduction

Solvents, acids & alkali are widely used across manufacturing, cleaning, surface treatment, and laboratory operations. These chemicals can release vapors, gases, and mists capable of causing acute irritation, respiratory damage, or long-term occupational health effects.

AGT Labs provides accredited monitoring and analysis to help organizations understand exposure levels, improve engineering controls, and maintain compliance with OSHA PELs and ACGIH TLVs.

Chemical Release Sources & High-Exposure Activities

Airborne solvent vapors and corrosive acids & alkali mists are commonly released during operations such as:

  • Mixing, pumping, and transferring chemicals
  • Degreasing, cleaning, and parts washing
  • Etching, plating, and surface treatment processes
  • Open-container use of paints, thinners, and reagents
  • Batch operations with insufficient ventilation
  • Heating, curing, and thermal decomposition stages

Identifying these high-emission tasks is critical for selecting correct sampling media and implementing engineering controls.

Purpose

Workplaces handling paints, coatings, degreasers, cleaners, and process chemicals often release volatile solvents and acids & alkali mists that cause respiratory and dermal hazards. AGT Labs quantifies these airborne contaminants to verify control efficacy and ensure compliance with OSHA 1910.1000 and ACGIH TLVs.

Solvent and Acid Testing

Testing Overview

Sampling and analysis follow NIOSH 1500 / 1501 (hydrocarbon solvents) and NIOSH 7903 (acid gases and mists).

  • Solvents: collected on activated charcoal or Tenax tubes; analyzed by GC-FID or GC-MS.
  • Acid gases (HCl, HF, HNO3, SO2) and alkalis (NH3, NaOH mists): trapped in impingers or treated filters; quantified by Ion Chromatography (IC).

All analyses are performed within AGT Labs’ ISO/IEC 17025 laboratory with full QA/QC and calibration records.

IC Lab Analysis

Testing Options

Personal Exposure Sampling

Assess worker risk for solvents, acids & alkali.

Area Monitoring

Mixing, etching, and cleaning operations surveillance.

Short-Term Peak Sampling

Task-based measurements during upsets or high-exposure tasks.

Bulk & Wipe Analysis

Quantify residues on surfaces or equipment for process safety.

Ventilation Validation

Efficiency testing and LEL screening in controlled areas.

Sampling Media & Equipment Supply

AGT Labs provides custom chemical exposure kits including:

  • Sorbent tubes (activated charcoal, Tenax, Anasorb)
  • Impingers with absorption solutions (NaOH, H2O2)
  • Calibrated sampling pumps (50–200 mL/min)
  • Field data sheets, COC tags, and shipping materials
  • Optional on-site calibrators and flow controllers

All media are certified clean and pre-conditioned for target compounds.

Sampling Guidelines

  • Select sorbent or impinger media specific to the chemical class.
  • Perform pre/post calibration; record temperature and humidity.
  • Avoid cross-contamination from open solvent containers.
  • Ship samples within 24 h of collection; include field blanks for QA/QC.

Exposure Monitoring During Chemical Handling Operations

Exposure monitoring ensures peak and long-term exposure levels are accurately assessed during high-risk activities such as:

  • Chemical mixing, dilution, and transfer
  • Solvent-based cleaning and degreasing
  • Acids & alkali etching, dipping, and neutralization
  • Batch-processing operations with variable emissions
  • Maintenance tasks involving chemical residues

Real-time instruments such as PIDs or electrochemical sensors may be used to supplement laboratory sampling for immediate exposure evaluation.

Accreditation & Standards

NIOSH 1500 / 1501 NIOSH 7903 OSHA ID-206, PV2014 ISO/IEC 17025 AIHA-LAP Industrial Hygiene Program

Deliverables & Value-Added Services for Solvents/Acids & Alkali

  • Concentrations (ppm / mg/m³) for each analyte
  • Comparison to OSHA PEL and ACGIH TLV values
  • QA/QC summary and instrument calibration data
  • Control recommendations (ventilation, enclosures, PPE)
  • Compliance summary with sampling frequency guidance
  • Solvent mixture profiling and emission factor calculations
  • Ventilation and hood efficiency testing
  • Incident response sampling support
  • Exposure trending and training modules

Summary

AGT Labs delivers comprehensive testing for volatile solvents and corrosive acids & alkali with integrated media supply and accredited analysis—to help maintain compliance and protect workers.

Contact AGT Labs

Reach out to our team for solvents, acids & alkali testing support.

Email: info@agtlabs.com Call: +1 (713) 453-6090
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