Tungsten Oxide Fiber Dissolution and Persistence in Artificial Human Lung Fluids

Details

• Personal Author:
  Chirila M ; Stefaniak, Aleksandr B.
• Description:
  Tungsten is a dense metal that is used in a range of industrial applications, including non-sag wire for light bulb filaments. During the conversion of tungsten oxide powder into tungsten metal powder for use as filaments, aerosols may be generated which contain tungsten sub-oxide particles having fiber morphology. To evaluate whether these fibers pose a yet unrecognized inhalation hazard due in part to their biodurability, we characterized the physicochemical properties and measured relative dissolution of fiber-containing (WO2.81, WO2.66, WO2.51) and isometric-shaped (WO3.00, WO2.98) powders in artificial lung fluids. Raman spectroscopy results present a shift in the main frequencies for tungsten oxide samples that were sonicated in surfactant, confirming a decrease in the size of the crystalline domains by de-agglomeration. Geometric mean fiber aspect ratios were 8.3 (WO2.81), 7.9 (WO2.66), and 6.9 (WO2.51). In artificial extracellular lung fluid, alkylbenzyldimethylammonium chloride (ABDC), added to prevent mold growth during experiments, inhibited (p < 0.05) dissolution of WO2.98, WO2.81, and WO2.66. Less (p < 0.05) of the fibrous WO2.66 and WO2.51 dissolved relative to W metal; however, biodurability was only modestly greater than W metal. These data are useful for understanding the inhalation dosimetry of fibrous and non-fibrous forms of tungsten oxide materials. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aerosols Biological Factors Chemistry Hazardous Substances Laboratories Lung Diseases Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Particulate Matter Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Risk Assessment Safety Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Biohazards Biological-effects Biological-factors Breathing Chemical-properties Chemical-reactions Chronic-exposure Exposure-methods Health-hazards Inhalation-studies Laboratory-testing Lung-disorders Occupational-exposure Occupational-hazards Occupational-health Occupational-respiratory-disease Particle-aerodynamics Particulate-dust Particulate-sampling-methods Pulmonary-system-disorders Risk-analysis Statistical-analysis Work-environment Workplace-studies

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• ISSN:
  1742-6596
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DRDS - Division of Respiratory Disease Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  151
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20035187
• Citation:
  J Phys: Conf Ser, Inhaled Particles X 2009 Mar; 151(1):012013
• Contact Point Address:
  A Stefaniak, Division of Respiratory Disease Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV 26505
• Email:
  AStefaniak@cdc.gov
• CAS Registry Number:
  Tungsten (CAS RN 7440-33-7)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2009
• NORA Priority Area:
  Manufacturing
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Physics: Conference Series, Inhaled Particles X, 23-25 September 2008, Sheffield, UK
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:31f669f2c935de3800f72e2799b3bd85504c740509def2287cbaf8f72c3aebf5d33315c00b84dd0a16dcbd6047f0c67a20294f7cd6f8677674129596e44db3ab
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/187121/cdc_187121_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.07 MB ]