ABSTRACT
In the last decade, the use of direct-reading real-time instrumentation has made great strides as an industrial hygiene technique due to inherent advantages such as rapid analytical results, elimination of sample handling, and elimination of sample storage. Real-time analyzers also are able to monitor fluctuations in exposure as well as time-weighted averages (TWAs), an ability which facilitates the investigation of exposures in workplaces which have highly transient concentrations. This ability also aids the control of hazards and is a useful tool for educating both employers and employees regarding work practices and exposures. While there are negative aspects associated with the use of direct-reading instrumental methods, chiefly relating to their higher initial investment and increased complexity compared with conventional sampling techniques, the advantages in many situations clearly are greater. This is apparent through the increase in the number and variety of instruments being marketed and used by field industrial hygienists. It is anticipated that the changing nature of the workplace, as well as a need to better understand the etiology of occupationally related disease, will continue to promote both the development and the use of direct-reading instruments.
