Design of an Inhalation Exposure System to Study Spot Welding Fume Characteristics and Biological Effects

Details

• Personal Author:
  Afshari AA ; Antonini JM ; Boylstein, Randy J. ; Castranova, Vincent ; Frazer DG ; Kanwal, Richard
• Description:
  Millions of workers worldwide are exposed to welding aerosols daily. Health effects in welders have included, metal fume fever, decreased lung function, and chronic bronchitis. Resistance spot welding (RSW) using adhesives is common in the automotive, aircraft, and appliance industries for fabricating with sheet metal where high speed, repetitive welding is needed and relatively thin section sizes are welded. Preliminary air sampling in an automotive plant during RSW detected numerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as methyl methacrylate, toluene, benzene, that were also found in adhesives used in the process. The goals of this study were to develop an automated RSW generation and inhalation system for laboratory animals and to physically and chemically identify and characterize the aerosols formed. The system is divided into three different areas: (1) enclosed control room, (2) spot welder, and (3) animal exposure chamber and aerosol characterization equipment. RSW is performed on low carbon and galvanized steel (1/32" thick, up to 1-1/2" wide) conveyed from a pair of spools at a controlled rate using an automated welder equipped with two copper alloy electrodes. Adhesives commonly used during RSW are evenly dispensed at a controlled rate between the strips of metal to be welded. Welding aerosols are transported via a flexible trunk to the animal exposure chamber. Airborne emissions in the animal breathing zone are collected onto desorption tubes for identification and measurement of VOCs. Fume morphology, composition, and size are determined by electron microscopy, atomic emission spectroscopy, and particle impactors, respectively. With the development of this novel system, it is possible to investigate in an animal model the pulmonary effects of welding fume generated from RSW on metal coated with adhesives. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aerosols Air Pollutants, Occupational Dust Irritants Laboratories Lung Lung Diseases Occupational Health Particulate Matter Respiratory Hypersensitivity Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety Solvents Welding

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• Keywords:
  Aerosol-particles Airborne-dusts Airborne-particles Exposure-chambers Fumes Inhalation-studies Laboratory-animals Lung-cells Lung-disorders Lung-irritants Pulmonary-disorders Pulmonary-system-disorders Respiratory-gas-analysis Respiratory-hypersensitivity Respiratory-infections Respiratory-irritants Respiratory-system-disorders Vapors Welders-lung

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• ISSN:
  1096-6080
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 10 ; OSHA Region 3 ; Washington ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  HELD - Health Effects Laboratory Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  102
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20033597
• Citation:
  Toxicologist 2008 Mar; 102(1):226
• CAS Registry Number:
  2-Propenoic acid, 2-methyl-, methyl ester (CAS RN 80-62-6) ; Benzene (CAS RN 71-43-2) ; Toluene (CAS RN 108-88-3)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2008
• NORA Priority Area:
  Manufacturing
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  The Toxicologist. Society of Toxicology 47th Annual Meeting and ToxExpo, March 16-20, 2008, Seattle, Washington
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:dae7befcd6fe5b40402db4d102be54e38dc84ea5d3ab9edc850ca6b6670e3e91ff0ec22a301aa2fc2e9a55a3d3e55ce771c8c4bf9bb13910cbc3288fc6d0bca0
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/189097/cdc_189097_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 7.65 MB ]