Letter 17787

Garlic odor. Is it Arsine?  

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I am having a problem with an odor in our cleaning facility. As we clean parts with Arsenic deposition, some workers complain of a garlic odor. They are wearing a particulate (Hepa) filter. The customers says the odor is Phosphine. MSDS data says that Arsine has a garlic odor and Phosphine a rotten fish odor. I did find Arsine in the room with Dragger tube testing, at the source, not in the breathing zone. They now clean the parts with a supplied air respirator.

Q. Is this truly Arsine?
Q. Does any other compound have the garlic or onion odor?
Q. If it is Arsine, how is it formed inside a Bead Blast unit?

Thank you in advance,

Bob Forrest
- Portland Maine, USA

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