Cobalt exposure in 'hard metal' and diamonds grinding tools manufacturing and in grinding processes.

Cobalt is considered to play a major role in the development of 'hard metal' interstitial lung disease, asthma and other adverse health effects. A survey of occupational exposure of workers is a fundamental step to obtain exposure-response information and for preventive action. Process related exposure assessment was performed before and after technical control in small and medium size factories in a large surveillance programme. Cobalt containing airborne dusts were sampled by performing multiple measurements at the workplace of each process in which the types of job and duration of exposure were similar. Samples were analyzed by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Very high exposure levels encountered before technical control were significantly lowered with efficient local exhaust ventilation plant in 'hard metal' and grinding processes, but sometimes the TLV of 0.05 mg/m3 were exceeded. In the manufacture of grinding tools, major steps in cobalt control by local ventilation was not able to keep exposure below the TLV; exposures from 0.12 to 0.75 mg/m3 were recurrent and these need control strategies.