January 31, 2007—In collaboration with a private company and Los Alamos National Laboratory, US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) researchers have validated a standardized portable fluorescence method for determining trace beryllium in workplace air and wipe samples. NIOSH says that the technique offers a rapid and sensitive analysis of beryllium exposure in the workplace.
Laboratories can now be accredited for this field-portable technique through the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Laboratory Accreditation Program, notes NIOSH. The method has been published as an ASTM International Standard (ASTM D7202) and is reportedly in the approval process for inclusion in the fifth edition of the NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods.
