•As he was leaving work, a dry cleaning worker accidentally spilled a full gallo

Question

•As he was leaving work, a dry cleaning worker accidentally spilled a full gallon container of perchloroethylene onto the floor of the dry cleaning establishment. He left the building without realizing he had spilled the solvent. The building temperature is maintained at 72 F. All of the solvent evaporated overnight and the building was completely closed during that time. The interior dimensions of the building are 30 feet wide x 50 long x 12 feet high. Answer the following:

a. How many pounds of solvent were spilled?

b. How many cubic feet in the building?

c. What would the expected concentration in ppm of perchloroethylene be in the building when the worker returned the next morning?

d. Compare your answer to the TLV, PEL and IDLH

Explanation / Answer

Part a

Density of perchloroethylene at 72°F = 13.563 lb/gallon

pounds of solvent were spilled = density x volume

= 13.563 lb/gallon x 1 gallon

= 13.563 lb

Part b

Volume of perchloroethylene in the room

= volume of building

= 30 feet wide x 50 long feet x 12 feet high

= 18000 ft3

Part C

Volume = RT/P

= 0.0821 L-atm/mol-K x 295.37 K / 1 atm

= 24.25 mol/L

Concentration in mg/m3

= (13.563 lb x 453592.37 mg/lb) / (18000 ft3x0.0283 m3/ft3)

= 12077.09 mg/m3

Concentration in ppm = 12077.09 x 24.25/165.822

= 1766.17 ppm

Part d

Limits in 8- hour weighted average

TLV limit for PERCHLOROETHYLENE = 25 ppm

PEL limit for PERCHLOROETHYLENE = 100 ppm

The concentration of perchloroethylene is very high in the building

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