ABSTRACT
Objective To establish an infrared spectrophotometric method for determination of mineral oil mist in workplace air. Methods The mineral oil mist in workplace air was sampled with glass fiber filter membrane and eluted with carbon tetrachloride. Petroleum-like standard solution of carbon tetrachloride was used as the calibration standard, and quantitative analysis was performed using infrared spectrophotometric oil analyzer. Results The sampling efficiency of the glass fiber filter membrane ranged from 94.8% to 99.2%, and the extraction efficiency ranged from 95.6% to 104.2%. The linear range of mineral oil mist was 1.00-120.00 mg/L, with a correlation coefficient of 0.999 4. The detection limit was 0.52 mg/L, and the quantification limit was 1.74 mg/L. The average recovery rate ranged from 98.8% to 104.1%. The within- and between- run relative standard deviations were 2.2%-6.4% and 2.3%-5.2%, respectively. The samples were stable at room temperature for seven days. This method could be used for air sampling of mineral oil mist in workplaces where mineral oil is used. Conclusion The method is sensitive, accurate, and efficient, which is suitable for determining the concentration of mineral oil mist in workplace air.