A 5 gallon pail of polyester resin located within the plastic curtained area of the Manufacturing Lab was left uncovered at the end of the day on a Friday and the ventilation system in the building was shutdown over the weekend. When students came in on Sunday to work on a wet lay-up panel approximately 1/4 cubic feet of styrene vapor had accumulated in the curtained area. The students noticed the strong odor of styrene. With the ventilation system still shutdown, the students decided to tie back the plastic curtains while they worked. They spent 8 hours working in the area and at the end of the 8 hours the styrene vapors had completely dissipated (assume it dissipated in a linear manner). The dimensions of the curtained area are approximately 10' x 20' x 8'.

Were the students exposed to hazardous concentrations of styrene? Were PELs exceeded in the Manufacturing Lab for Minnesota? Would PELs have been exceeded if the lab was located in Wisconsin?

Provide the calculations behind your answers.