Hygiene Factors of the Air Environment and Their Role in The Formation of Cancer Risk in Hydrometallurgical Copper Production

Abstract

Hygienic assessment of working conditions in modern hydrometallurgical copper production has been carried out, the assessment in formation of carcinogenic risk of the workers employed in a hydrometallurgical complex of copper-containing ores in comparison with pyrometallurgical processes has been made. It is shown that in copper mining, the main factor causing a carcinogenic risk is inorganic compounds of cadmium and lead. The greatest predictive values of carcinogenic risk for metallurgical shops professions are observed in pyrometallurgical production, rather than in hydrometallurgical production, due to the difference in the equipment used. The main measure to reduce the carcinogenic hazard in obtaining cathode copper by the hydrometallurgical method should be the introduction of effective ventilation systems.