Analysis of Naphthalene in a Working Environment

Working environment measurements are obligatory under the Japanese Industrial Safety and Health Act. The purpose is to prevent health problems in workers caused by toxic factors in the working environment. In November 2015, naphthalene was added to the list of specified chemical substances in an amendment to the Ordinance on Prevention of Hazards Due to Specified Chemical Substances, Working Environment Measurement Standards, etc. In this article, an investigation was performed using a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GC-MS), in accordance with the naphthalene standard measurement analysis method. This method is outlined in appendix 4 of separate volume 06, naphthalene detailed risk assessment, of the report by the investigative commission on risk assessment for chemical substances (first report, 2014). From the results of this investigation, it was evident that naphthalene in the working environment could be analyzed with high accuracy.