September 22, 2016 Particulates Seminar
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​Particles:  Ever in Our Lives

Particulate matter has been around since the dawn of time. From the “big bang” billions of years ago and continuing today gases and dust are the “star stuff” coming together to form the universe in which we live, including our earth. Particulates are all around us every day as our world erodes and continually reforms itself using the energies of wind, water, forest fires, meteors and volcanoes.

Humans have contributed to the release of particulates into the air for more than 10,000 years in their activities of fire building, quarrying, farming, mining, manufacturing and construction. For hundreds, even thousands of years, the health hazards of inhaling particulates like mold, silica, lead and asbestos have been recognized by the physicians of their day. Some efforts were even made to reduce these exposures like Pliney the Elders goat belly respirator, without much success.

Today’s Industrial Hygienists and Environmental Professionals continue struggling in their efforts to anticipate, recognize, evaluate and control exposures to airborne particulates. Establishing “safe” limits for particulates exposures outdoors, indoors and in occupations continues to be a medical “guessing game” played by government agencies like the WHO, CDC and OSHA to name a few.
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EH&S professionals, indeed everyone who breathes the air on this planet, need to learn more about particulates and how they can affect us. In this seminar, the attendees will learn more about physical and health properties of particulates as well as the various ways they can be sampled, measured and analyzed. Our speakers will also focus on the current topics of interest including the new OSHA Silica Standard and nanoparticle behaviors, sampling and analysis.      

Speakers/Topics of Discussion:

Dr. Dietrich Weyel, Sc.D., CIH - Occupational Health Consultants: 
  • “Basic” aerosol physics.
  • Size, shape, density, surface area.
  • Lung deposition graph.
  • Capture and duct velocities, etc.

Debbie Dietrich, CIH - SKC, Inc.:
  • Performance criteria and samplers to meet OSHA’s final silica rule.
  • 2015 release of two NIOSH methods and samplers to address filter cassette wall losses.
  • 2016 update to NIOSH’s exposure assessment technique for nanoparticles.

Sandi Linatsas, BS / Mark Sullivan, BS, MBA - Environmental Devices Corp.:
  • Different kinds of aerosol monitors in the field: Real time aerosol monitors, particle counters and condescension nuclei counters.
  • Field VS. Research/Laboratory Units.
  • Designs, Features Costs.
  • Technical Discussion on sampling and analyzing results of various particulate parameters i.e.mass vs, number vs surface area.

Keith Rickabaugh, CIH - RJ Lee Group:
  • Particle analysis labs.
  • Collection media.
  • PLM dust characterization.
  • SEM, TEM, mass, chemical analysis.
  • Nano materials, silica, etc.

Session length:  approx. 3 hours
 
Schedule:

11:15-11:30    Arrival and Check-in
11:30-12:30    ====Buffet Lunch====
12:30-1:15     Presentation 1 - Dietrich Weyel
1:15-2:00       Presentation 2 - Debbie Dietrich
2:00-2:15         ====Break====
2:15-3:00        Presentation 3 - Sandi Linsatas - Mark Sullivan
3:00-3:45        Presentation 4 - Keith Rickabaugh
3:45-4:00        Discussion and Closing Remarks

Speaker Biographies:

Debbie Dietrich, CIH, SKC, Inc.
Debbie is the Senior Vice President and Corporate Industrial Hygienist for SKC Inc. She has a Master of Science in Industrial Hygiene from the University of Texas in Houston.  Debbie is certified in Comprehensive Practice of Industrial Hygiene American Board of Industrial Hygiene.  She is author of the chapter on “Sampling of Gases and Vapors” in AIHA Publication, The Occupational Environment—Its Evaluation and Control.  Debbie is Past Director of the National AIHA Board and Past President of the Gulf Coast AIHA Section.
Sandi Linsatas, BS Environmental Devices Corporation 
Sandi is the Global Strategic Development Manager for Environmental Devices Corporation.   Sandi holds a BS Degree from Nova Southeastern University and an Applied Science degree from the University of New Hampshire, along with pursuing a MS degree from the University of Colorado in Natural Resource Management.  Sandi was a Marine Biology Instructor and also taught on the campus of Florida Institute of Technology. Sandi has been involved in the instrumentation field for nearly 15 years. She worked as a biologist and underwater archeologist conducting research and fieldwork. Sandi is an organizational member of AIHA. She also serves on the advisory board for the New Hampshire Hazardous Material Response Team.
Keith Rickabaugh, CIH, RJ Lee Group
Keith is the Technical Director at RJ Lee Group (Monroeville, PA) and has over 20 years of experience providing technical consulting and project management services in the industrial hygiene field.  At RJ Lee Group, he uses applied sciences and modern instrumental analyses techniques to support commercial, industrial, and government clientele.  He has a broad range of experience in occupational exposure recognition, evaluation, measurement and control.  Keith is an active participant in both the AIHA Nanotechnology Working Group (NTWG) and the AIHA Sampling Laboratory and Analysis Committee (SLAC).  He has a BS in Materials Science and Engineering from Penn State University (1991) and an MBA from Robert Morris University (2000).  
Mark Sullivan, BS, MBA, Environmental Devices Corporation
Mark is the Managing Director and Applications Engineer for Environmental Devices Corporation.  Mark holds a BS in Chemistry from St. Anselm College and Maters Degree in Business Administration for the University of Massachusetts- Lowell as well as academic studies and research in Aerosol Physics. His published articles include “Real-Time Particulate Monitors-Gaining Acceptance in Completing PM-10 Ambient Air Sampling Procedures” and “Anthracene as a Standard for Fluorescence High Performance Liquid Chromatography.”  He has over 30 years combined experience in laboratory and in the instrumentation industry.
Dr. Dietrich Weyel, Sc.D., CIH, Occupational Health Consultants
Dr. Dietrich Weyel has over 40 years of experience in providing industrial hygiene and indoor air quality consulting. He is also a semi-retired Professor at the University of Pittsburgh and an active expert witness on indoor air quality and industrial hygiene related cases. Even though he has retired his Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) credential and retired from teaching at the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public Health he continues to provide expert witness testimony, IAQ consulting services and he teaches for IAQ Training Institute. He is also the Technical Director for the internet based IAQ Radio program and as such he has participated in over 300 interviews of the top IAQ, disaster restoration and building science professionals in the world. His Doctorate is in Industrial Hygiene and Occupational Health from the University of Pittsburgh and he also holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering.
  • Date: Thursday, September 22
  • Time:  11:15 AM - 4:00 PM (Registration 11:15, Lunch 11:30, Presentations 12:30 - 4:00)
  • Location:  Keystone Mountain Lakes Regional Council of Carpenters, 650 Ridge Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15205 (off of Parkway West).  Click here for Directions.
  • Cost:  $50 Member / $60 Non-Member / $20 Student
  • Cost includes:  Hot lunch buffet / Presentation
  • Register online before Friday, September 16.  
  • Payments accepted at the event (cash or check payable to AIHA Pittsburgh), or by credit card through PayPal.  (Click HERE for the PayPal page)

    Online Registration Form 
    Deadline - Monday, Sept. 19:    

If you have any questions regarding registration or payment, contact Christy Kirsch at ckirsch@pittsburghaiha.org.