Grain size, chemistry, and structure of fine and ultrafine particles in stainless steel welding fumes

Welders are exposed to high concentrations of nanoparticles. Compared to larger particles, nanoparticles have been associated with more toxic effects at the cellular level, including the generation of more reactive oxygen species activity. Current methods for welding-fume aerosol exposures do not differentiate between the nano-fraction and the larger particles. The objectives of this work are to establish a method to estimate the respiratory deposition of the nano-fraction of selected metals in welding fumes and test this method in a laboratory setting. Manganese (Mn), Nickel (Ni), Chromium (Cr), and hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) are commonly found in welding fume aerosols and have been linked with severe adverse health outcomes. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and ion chromatography (IC) were evaluated as methods for analyzing the content of Mn, Ni, Cr, and Cr(VI) nanoparticles in welding fumes collected with nanoparticle respiratory deposition (NRD) samplers. NRD samplers collect nanoparticles at deposition efficiencies that closely resemble physiological deposition in the respiratory tract. The limits of detection (LODs) and quantitation (LOQs) for ICP-MS and IC were determined analytically. Mild and stainless steel welding fumes generated with a robotic welder were collected with NRD samplers inside a chamber. LODs (LOQs) for Mn, Ni, Cr, and Cr(VI) were 1.3 μg (4.43 μg), 0.4 μg (1.14 μg), 1.1 μg (3.33 μg), and 0.4 μg (1.42 μg), respectively. Recovery of spiked samples and certified welding fume reference material was greater than 95%. When testing the method, the average percentage of total mass concentrations collected by the NRD samplers was ~30% for Mn, ~50% for Cr, and ~60% for Ni, indicating that a large fraction of the metals may lie in the nanoparticle fraction. This knowledge is critical to the development of toxicological studies aimed at finding links between exposure to welding fume nanoparticles and adverse health effects. Future work will involve the validation of the method in workplace settings. [Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher’s online edition of Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene for the following free supplemental resource: Digestion, extraction, and analysis procedures for nylon mesh screens.]

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“…(5) The close proximity of the welder to the source, however, exposes the operator to high concentrations of nanoparticles. (6) …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Novel Method for Assessing Respiratory Deposition of Welding Fume Nanoparticles

Cena

Keane

Chisholm

et al. 2014

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene

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“…A high rate of decay in particle number concentration as well as a high variation in particle number distribution was observed in the workshop of an industrial plant (Moroni & Viti, 2009). On the basis of a combined SEM-TEM study, the authors aimed to characterize the fine and ultrafine fractions that are present in welding fume particles, including size distribution, crystal structure and chemistry.…”

mentioning

confidence: 97%

Exposure to welding particles in automotive plants

Buonanno

Morawska

Stabile

2011

Journal of Aerosol Science

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“…The number of epidemiologic studies [4] has increased in recent years due to the increasing concern with welding fumes and more sophisticated equipment for ultrafine particle (UFP) detection and analysis. The influence of ultrafine particulate lying in the nano sized range, on human health has been pointed to be of much concern [5] as airborne ultrafine particles can also result from macroscopic common industrial processes such as welding [6]. The detrimental health effects of inhaling ultrafine aerosols were recognised long ago and various attempts have been made to minimise exposure, as the issuing of specific regulations on emissions and objectives for air quality in working microenvironments [7].…”

Section: The Effect Of Metal Transfer Modes and Shielding Gas Composimentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of metal transfer modes and shielding gas composition on the emission of ultrafine particles in MAG steel welding

et al. 2014

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Resumo Este estudo consistiu na caracterização de partículas ultrafinas emitidas durante a soldadura de arco de aço ao carbono e inoxidável, utilizando diferentes misturas como protecção gasosa por forma a avaliar a influência dos modos de transferência AbstractThe present study aims to characterize ultrafine particles emitted during gas metal arc welding of mild steel and stainless steel, using different shielding gas mixtures, and to evaluate the effect of metal transfer modes, controlled by both processing parameters and shielding gas composition, on the quantity and morphology of the ultrafine particles. It was found that the amount of emitted ultrafine particles (measured by particle number and alveolar deposited surface area) are clearly dependent from the main welding parameters, namely the current intensity and the heat input of the welding process.

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Grain size, chemistry, and structure of fine and ultrafine particles in stainless steel welding fumes

Cited by 38 publications

References 35 publications

A Novel Method for Assessing Respiratory Deposition of Welding Fume Nanoparticles

A Novel Method for Assessing Respiratory Deposition of Welding Fume Nanoparticles

Exposure to welding particles in automotive plants

The effect of metal transfer modes and shielding gas composition on the emission of ultrafine particles in MAG steel welding

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