CONFERENCE PROCEEDING
Features of fume distribution in the working zone during arc welding with various covered electrodes
1
Far Eastern Federal University, Vladivostok, Russia
2
Siberian Federal Research Centrе of Agro-ВioTechnologies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Krasnoobsk, Russia
3
Far Eastern Geological Institute, FEB RAS, Russia
4
Environmental Health Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, University School for Advanced Studies-IUSS, Pavia, Italy
5
Yurginsk Technological Institute of the National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, Russia
6
Laboratory of Toxicology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
Publication date: 2024-04-16
Corresponding author
Konstantin Y. Kirichenko
Far Eastern Federal University, 10 Ajax Bay, Russky Island, Vladivostok 690922, Russia
Far Eastern Federal University, 10 Ajax Bay, Russky Island, Vladivostok 690922, Russia
Public Health Toxicol 2024;4(Supplement Supplement 1):A17
ABSTRACT
Introduction:
Welding is one of the most important technological processes in modern industrial production. Over half of the world’s gross domestic products in developed countries are manufactured involving welding production which is equivalent to 350-370 million tons per year [1]. Particles emitted from welding fumes (WFs) are known to pose serious health outcomes to welders [2]. The greatest threat to the health of the welder is emissions of welding fumes (WFs) that are formed from the gas phase and condensed components. The particle fraction with a diameter of 10 μm or less (PM10) is the most hazardous in the working zone air [3]. When entering the air, the harmful aerosol components can pollute it to a level exceeding the maximum permissible concentration (MPC).
Methods:
In this study, the influence of different covering types of industrial electrodes, including, rutile, basic, acid, and rutile-cellulose, on the particle size distribution, morphology, and elemental composition of particles of welding fumes (WFs), was investigated. The sampling of WF particles within the working space was followed by particle size distribution analysis, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and quantitative analysis to determine the PM10 fraction distribution of the WFs within the workplace was carried out. The results were compared with the current international normative documents regarding the maximum permissible concentration of the PM10 fraction in the air.
Results:
The most hazardous types of electrode coverings were determined based on the dispersed composition, chemical composition, and the concentration of formed particles of the PM10 fraction in space and time. The dependence of the particle size distribution time of the WFs in the working zone was identified for a basic covered industrial electrode. The maximum sizes of WF particles were exhibited at 100 A with electrodes having the rutile-cellulose type of covering, and at 150 A having the basic type of covering. The concentration 0.05 mg/m3 of the PM10 fraction of WFs in the workplace is achieved already after 1 hour of the welding machine operation at current I=100 A.
Conclusions:
Results of the model experiments on the characterization of WFs demonstrate the risks of the arc welding process to human health and stress the need for their control and mitigation. The results showed that the previously considered risks may be underestimated. This question needs further detailed studies in order to be addressed, including clarification of the mechanisms of the formation of particles of different sizes and experiments with additional ventilation.
Acknowledgements:
The authors would like to express their gratitude to the employees of the Center for Analytical Control of the Environment of the FEFU, the Laboratory of Toxicology, University of Crete, Greece, and the Institute for Advanced Study, IUUS, Pavia, Italy, for their dedicated involvement in this study.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest in the publication of this article. The authors have no conflicts of interest to report in this work. Abstract was not submitted elsewhere and published here firstly.
Funding:
This work was supported by a grant from the President of the Russian Federation for young candidates of sciences (PhD) MK-2461.2019.5.
Welding is one of the most important technological processes in modern industrial production. Over half of the world’s gross domestic products in developed countries are manufactured involving welding production which is equivalent to 350-370 million tons per year [1]. Particles emitted from welding fumes (WFs) are known to pose serious health outcomes to welders [2]. The greatest threat to the health of the welder is emissions of welding fumes (WFs) that are formed from the gas phase and condensed components. The particle fraction with a diameter of 10 μm or less (PM10) is the most hazardous in the working zone air [3]. When entering the air, the harmful aerosol components can pollute it to a level exceeding the maximum permissible concentration (MPC).
Methods:
In this study, the influence of different covering types of industrial electrodes, including, rutile, basic, acid, and rutile-cellulose, on the particle size distribution, morphology, and elemental composition of particles of welding fumes (WFs), was investigated. The sampling of WF particles within the working space was followed by particle size distribution analysis, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and quantitative analysis to determine the PM10 fraction distribution of the WFs within the workplace was carried out. The results were compared with the current international normative documents regarding the maximum permissible concentration of the PM10 fraction in the air.
Results:
The most hazardous types of electrode coverings were determined based on the dispersed composition, chemical composition, and the concentration of formed particles of the PM10 fraction in space and time. The dependence of the particle size distribution time of the WFs in the working zone was identified for a basic covered industrial electrode. The maximum sizes of WF particles were exhibited at 100 A with electrodes having the rutile-cellulose type of covering, and at 150 A having the basic type of covering. The concentration 0.05 mg/m3 of the PM10 fraction of WFs in the workplace is achieved already after 1 hour of the welding machine operation at current I=100 A.
Conclusions:
Results of the model experiments on the characterization of WFs demonstrate the risks of the arc welding process to human health and stress the need for their control and mitigation. The results showed that the previously considered risks may be underestimated. This question needs further detailed studies in order to be addressed, including clarification of the mechanisms of the formation of particles of different sizes and experiments with additional ventilation.
Acknowledgements:
The authors would like to express their gratitude to the employees of the Center for Analytical Control of the Environment of the FEFU, the Laboratory of Toxicology, University of Crete, Greece, and the Institute for Advanced Study, IUUS, Pavia, Italy, for their dedicated involvement in this study.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest in the publication of this article. The authors have no conflicts of interest to report in this work. Abstract was not submitted elsewhere and published here firstly.
Funding:
This work was supported by a grant from the President of the Russian Federation for young candidates of sciences (PhD) MK-2461.2019.5.
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| ISSN: | 2732-8929 |
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