Benzene naturally occurs in crude oil and is used to make plastics, resins, synthetic fibers, dyes, detergents, additives and coatings, and pesticides. It is a widely used aromatic hydrocarbon which constitutes 1-2% of gasoline and other fuels. While benzene is a very useful hydrocarbon that offers diverse applications, it is also a known human carcinogen. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) lists the PEL-TWA at 1 ppm, and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) have the TLV-TWA at 0.5 ppm. Industry requires a means to measure low concentrations of benzene (typically below 1 ppm) in the presence of various hydrocarbons, often 100 to 1000X the concentration of benzene.
Uniphos Envirotronic Inc., a recognized leader in colorimetric detection tubes, has developed a PID pre-filter tube for selective determination of benzene in air containing a mixture of volatile organic compounds (e.g. toluene, xylene, ethyl benzene, octane, etc.). The measuring range for benzene using the PID pre-filter tube by Uniphos is 50 ppb to 200 ppm.
At Uniphos, we are ready to help you find the right PID pre-filter tube or detector tube to suit your needs. Contact us today to learn more!