Monitoring Airborne Exposure Limits

The U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency CMA safely stores and disposes of chemical weapons located in different locations around the continental United States. Communities near these storage and disposal facilities rely on the agency and oversight groups, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC and the National Research Council, to ensure their safety as well as the safety of workers and the environment. One measure of safety these groups provide is proven monitoring systems placed in and around storage and disposal areas. These monitors are extra layers of protection to ensure workers and surrounding communities are not exposed to harmful concentrations of chemical agent in the air. Airborne Exposure Limits, also known as AELs, are limits set by the CDC to protect workers and the public from potential airborne concentration levels that would result in adverse health effects from acute exposures and to protect against risks from long-term exposure.