Washington State Department of Labor & Industries, PO Box 44330, Olympia, WA 98504, USA.
Ind Health. 2011;49(1):63-72. doi: 10.2486/indhealth.ms1150. Epub 2010 Sep 1.
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 (NO(2)) and ozone (O(3)) 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 NO(2) and O(3) exposure were less variable. Welding fume metal exposures were significantly higher 474 μg/m(3) for welders than non-welders 60 μg/m(3) (p=0.001). Welders were exposed to higher concentrations of NO(2) and O(3) 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.
本研究的目的是描述大型制造工厂中生产焊工和非焊工接触与焊接相关的金属和气体的情况。对 38 名工人进行了焊接烟尘金属和刺激性气体二氧化氮（NO2）和臭氧（O3）的个人暴露采样。使用 37 毫米开面盒采集焊接烟尘金属的个人暴露空气样本，使用扩散式被动采样器采集二氧化氮和臭氧暴露样本。使用电感耦合等离子体质谱法（ICP-MS）分析金属样本，焊接烟尘金属暴露浓度定义为每采样体积空气中与焊接相关的金属质量总和。虽然 NO2 和 O3 的暴露量变化较小，但相似类型的焊接中焊接烟尘金属的暴露量变化很大。焊工的焊接烟尘金属暴露量明显高于非焊工 474μg/m3 比 60μg/m3（p=0.001）。焊工接触的 NO2 和 O3 浓度高于非焊工，但差异无统计学意义。进行气体金属电弧焊（GMAW）和金属惰性气体电弧焊（SMAW）的焊工的焊接烟尘金属暴露浓度高于进行钨极惰性气体电弧焊（GTAW）的焊工。尽管焊接和非焊接工作区域之间有幕帘墙隔开，但非焊工的暴露量与 GTAW 焊工相似。
