Introduction to Exposure and Contaminant Dispersion Modeling: What It Is and Why It Matters

Air Dispersion Modeling for Exposure Assessment 

Air dispersion modeling technologies, such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD), CALPUFF, and AERMOD, create three-dimensional models that depict emission sources, pathways of exposure, and airborne concentrations of potential contaminants. These tools are invaluable for workplace and community exposure assessments.  

Example of a CFD model:

Exposure modeling incorporates a wide range of variables , including site-specific features and contaminant-specific chemical properties.  These customizable variables make air dispersion modeling especially useful when the objective of an industrial hygiene exposure assessment is to understand past exposures and the physical job site no longer exists or air monitoring is otherwise impossible.  Exposure modeling  can also be used to verify or validate historical air monitoring data. 

Industry-specific Applications of Exposure Modeling

C&IH’s certified professional simulation engineers utilize the most appropriate exposure modeling technology based on the needs of each client and project.  C&IH has modeled airborne contaminant distribution in support of various projects across multiple industries, including:

• Exposures from surface mining activities to assist in community exposure assessments
• Catastrophic chemical plume releases to assist in emergency evacuation planning
• re-entrainment of silica, asbestos, and other particulates associated with laboratory walk-in hoods
• Performance of capture hoods for nano-particles

Why Choose C&IH for Exposure Assessment?

C&IH performs exposure and contaminant dispersion modeling to help organizations assess specific and unique workplace exposures, verify historical air monitoring data, and meet other industrial hygiene objectives.

Contact us to learn more about how C&IH can customize exposure modeling to support your organization’s specific exposure assessment needs.