In Vitro Toxicity Comparison of Surrogate Metal Oxides Found in Welding Fumes

Details

• Personal Author:
  Andrews, Ronnee N. ; Antonini JM ; Bowers L ; Erdely A ; Keane MJ ; Kodali V ; Leonard, Stephen S. ; Stefaniak, Aleksandr B. ; Trainor T ; Zeidler-Erdely PC
• Description:
  Welding fumes were classified as a Group 1 carcinogen (carcinogenic to humans) in 2017 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer based on sufficient epidemiological evidence and limited evidence in experimental animals. Toxic metals commonly found in the fumes are chromium (Cr), iron (Fe), and nickel (Ni). Copper (Cu)-based welding consumables are currently being investigated as a less toxic alternative. The objective of this study was to evaluate the acute toxicological potency of a new Cu-Ni welding fume in human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) over a wide dose range (0, 1.56, 3.13, 6.25, 12.5, 25, 50 and 100 microg/ml). The primary components of the welding fume were also assayed to determine their relative potencies and included nickel (II) oxide (NiO; <10 microm and <50 nm sizes), copper (II) oxide (CuO; <10 microm and <50 nm sizes), and iron (III) oxide (Fe2O3; <5 microm). Physicochemical properties including dissolution were determined for the welding fume and its components. Membrane damage and cell proliferation/viability were quantified by measuring lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release and conversion of the tetrazolium salt, WST-1, respectively after 24 h of exposure. The acellular oxidative potential of the welding fume and its component metals was determined by electron paramagnetic resonance. Cellular oxidative stress was measured via flow cytometry using change in CellROX. Experiments were run in a randomized complete block design (n=3 independent blocks) with a one-way layout of treatment combinations. The data showed that CuO (<50 nm) and Cu-Ni fume were the most toxic, and significantly increased LDH levels and decreased cell proliferation/viability with increasing concentrations in vitro. NiO (<50nm) was of intermediate toxicity primarily decreasing cell proliferation/viability at the higher doses with no significant effect on LDH levels. At equal mass, the nanocomponents were more toxic compared to their micron-sized components. No significant effects for damage and proliferation/viability were found for the other metal oxides tested. CuO (<10 microm and <50 nm sizes) and the Cu-Ni fume resulted in significant acellular and cellular levels of oxidative stress while the other metal oxides had no significant effect. These results suggest that the Cu-Ni fume has the potential to be inflammatory and toxic in vivo, and this effect may be primarily driven by the Cu component. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Pollutants, Occupational Carcinogens Chemistry Chromium Copper Environmental Exposure Ferrous Compounds Hazardous Substances Immune System Lung Metals Nickel Occupational Health Particulate Matter Respiratory System Safety Toxicology Welding

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• Keywords:
  Cell Proliferation Cellular Effects Chemical Properties Copper Oxide Cytometric Analysis Exposure Assessment Exposure Levels Humans Immune Reaction Iron Iron Oxides Lung Cells Metal Compounds Nanomaterials Nickel Oxide Oxidative Stress Oxides Particle Size Physical Properties Toxic Effects Toxic Fumes Toxic Materials Welding Fumes

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• ISSN:
  1096-6080
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  California ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 9 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  HELD - Health Effects Laboratory Division ; RHD - Respiratory Health Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  42
• Volume:
  174
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20058856
• Citation:
  Toxicologist 2020 Mar; 174(1):42
• CAS Registry Number:
  Chromium (CAS RN 7440-47-3) ; Copper (CAS RN 7440-50-8) ; Copper oxide (CuO) (CAS RN 1317-38-0) ; Iron (CAS RN 7439-89-6) ; Iron oxide (Fe2O3) (CAS RN 1309-37-1) ; Nickel (CAS RN 7440-02-0) ; Nickel monoxide (CAS RN 1313-99-1)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2020
• NORA Priority Area:
  Manufacturing
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  The Toxicologist. Society of Toxicology 59th Annual Meeting and ToxExpo, March 15-19, 2020, Anaheim, California
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:19562fa1a701692668491e176feeeab5f6a20aebe97f65c492a82b14531776eb9d6e7acb0209a6de0c4fdb7f003a81b41070794f0724d8cbf6b23c5c0632911d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/223241/cdc_223241_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 523.33 KB ]