NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) 20090004155: Air Quality Monitoring: Risk-Based Choices

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by  NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Air Quality Monitoring: Risk-
Based Choices
John T. James, Ph.D.
Habitability and Environmental Factors
Division
January 15, 2009
Roadmap
• Controlling risk of toxic events
• Learning from adverse events
• Archival air sampling
• On-board, real-time analyzers
• Commercial vs. one-of-a-kind monitors
• Constraints on spaceflight hardware
• A dusty future-living on a distant celestial body
• Recap
Controlling Risk of Toxic Exposure
• Use non-toxic systems chemicals
• Use materials that do not offgas much
• Contain toxicants in payloads
• Use non-toxic utility compounds
• Operationally limit access to toxic compounds
• Provide robust air scrubbing capability
• Personal protective equipment available
• Ability to escape spacecraft
Learning from Adverse Events
• Toxic propellants
• Fires
• Pyrolysis events
• Leaky thermal control systems
• Excess carbon dioxide
• Formaldehyde accumulation
• Unpredictable events
• Dust
Apollo-Soyuz: Nitrogen Tetroxide
Exposures-1975
Selected Pollutants in Mir Air after the
SFOG Fire (mg/m3)
0.6
0.5 Benzene
IPA
0.4
Styrene
0.3
30-day
0.2 Benzene
Limit
0.1
0
-31 d -10 d +5 h +8 h +12 h +20 h +32 h
FIRE!
Carbon Monoxide and Carboxyhemaglobin
Profiles after the SMALL BMP Filter Burn (CPA
data)
450
400
350
Nausea
300
Headache
250
CO (ppm)
200
COHb (%X10)
150
100
50
0
1 h 5 h 10 h 15 h 20 h 25 h 30 h 35 h 40 h
A Little
Smoke…
Ethylene Glycol in Mir Air after Leak from the
Thermal Control System: Kvant and Core Module
80
70
3
M
/ 60
G
M
(

L 50
E
V
E
L 40

E Kvant
N
R
30
O
B
R
I 20
A
10
0
0 Core10 20 30 40 50 60
TIME AFTER LEAK (DAYS)
CO2 Survey During Exercise
4000
I----------Exercise Session-------------------I
3500
3000
)
m
p 2500
p
(

n
o
i
t
a
r 2000
t
n
e
c
n
o
C
1500

2
O
C
1000
S/N 1003 - Lab Wall
S/N 1007 - Crew Worn
500
0
12:20 12:25 12:30 12:35 12:40 12:45 12:50 12:55 13:00 13:05 13:10 13:15
GMT
Formaldehyde
70
60
)
3 50
m
/
g
u
40
(
n
o SM
i
t
a
r 30 Lab
t
n
e
c
n
o 20
C Dust bunnies
Removed from
10
IMV
0
Oct-00 Apr-01 Nov-01 May-02 Dec-02 Jun-03 Jan-04 Aug-04 Feb-05 Sep-05 Mar-06
Date of Sample