Personal exposure to metal fume, NO2, and O3 among production welders and non-welders

Details

• Personal Author:
  Conroy L ; Lacey S ; Plavka J ; Schoonover, Todd
• Description:
  The objective of this study was to characterize personal exposures to welding-related metals and gases for production welders and non-welders in a large manufacturing facility. Welding fume metals and irritant gases nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3) were sampled for thirty-eight workers. Personal exposure air samples for welding fume metals were collected on 37 mm open face cassettes and nitrogen dioxide and ozone exposure samples were collected with diffusive passive samplers. Samples were analyzed for metals using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) and welding fume metal exposure concentrations were defined as the sum of welding-related metals mass per volume of air sampled. Welding fume metal exposures were highly variable among similar types of welding while NO2 and O3 exposure were less variable. Welding fume metal exposures were significantly higher 474 µg/m3 for welders than non-welders 60 µg/m3 (p=0.001). Welders were exposed to higher concentrations of NO2 and O3 than non-welders but the differences were not statistically significant. Welding fume metal exposure concentrations for welders performing gas metal arc welding (GMAW) and shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) were higher than welders performing gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW). Non-welders experienced exposures similar to GTAW welders despite a curtain wall barrier separating welding and non-welding work areas. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Pollutants, Occupational Environmental Monitoring Irritants Men Metals Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Welding Workplace

  More +
• Keywords:
  Air-samplers Author Keywords: Welding Exposure Exposure-levels Fume Fumes Gas-welders Gases Humans Irritant-gases Metal-fumes Metallic-fumes Personal Risk-factors Welders Work-environment Workers

  More +
• ISSN:
  0019-8366
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  District of Columbia ; Illinois ; OSHA Region 10 ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 5 ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  63-72
• Volume:
  49
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20045804
• Citation:
  Ind Health 2011 Jan; 49(1):63-72
• Contact Point Address:
  Todd Schoonover, Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, PO Box 44330, Olympia, WA 98504
• Email:
  scto235@lni.wa.gov
• CAS Registry Number:
  Nitrogen dioxide (CAS RN 10102-44-0) ; Ozone (CAS RN 10028-15-6)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2011
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
• Performing Organization:
  University of Illinois at Chicago
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Industrial Health
• End Date:
  20290630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:76109f4635a9579a38b3c1b59585aa3bffc51d8e5053004491e8510ee8e6d72b32b808baf1ee27a6ff77eb739884d60c4981722b114cf9eb0e28b266ef6e4584
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/201090/cdc_201090_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 485.93 KB ]