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Arbeitsmedizinische Untersuchung der Belastung und Beanspruchung von Arbeitnehmern aus der Hartmetallproduktion durch Wolfram, Cobalt und Nickel*
Aim: The internal and external exposure of
workers to tungsten, cobalt and nickel in
a cemented carbide processing plant was
investigated. In this context, possibly workrelated
adverse effects on the health of the
workers, especially respiratory tract impairment
were also assessed.
Method: The study group was comprised of 31 workers with an average age of 31 years who had been employed in the facility for 124 months. The external exposure to tungsten was determined after air sampling by inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Biomonitoring for tungsten in blood and urine was also carried out by ICP-MS, while cobalt in blood and cobalt and nickel in urine were analysed by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GF-AAS).
Results: The median tungsten concentration in the workplace air was 0.18 mg/m3 with the highest levels in the powder processing area (0.45 mg/m3, maximum: 4.46 mg/m³). The tungsten concentration in the workers’ blood was 0.7 μg/l (range: 0.1–15.2 μg/l). The tungsten concentrations in post-shift urine samples varied between 0.2 μg/l and 11.0 μg/l (median: 1.6 μg/l). The cobalt concentration was 1.7 μg/l in blood and 16.2 μg/l in post-shift urine, the nickel concentration in urine was 2.5 μg/l (median values). The workers were exposed to concentrations of the metals which generally decreased from the powder processing area across the sintering hall to the finishing workshop. Respiratory impairment and disorders were monitored as possible reactions. Neither lung function tests nor chest x-ray and computed tomography revealed alterations indicative of hard-metal-induced lung fibrosis.
Conclusions: In general, the employees were exposed to comparatively low levels of tungsten, cobalt and nickel. The present study of workplaces where the refined milling technique was used revealed no conspicuous differences in external and internal exposure from exposures in workplaces using conventional grinding techniques.
Method: The study group was comprised of 31 workers with an average age of 31 years who had been employed in the facility for 124 months. The external exposure to tungsten was determined after air sampling by inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Biomonitoring for tungsten in blood and urine was also carried out by ICP-MS, while cobalt in blood and cobalt and nickel in urine were analysed by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GF-AAS).
Results: The median tungsten concentration in the workplace air was 0.18 mg/m3 with the highest levels in the powder processing area (0.45 mg/m3, maximum: 4.46 mg/m³). The tungsten concentration in the workers’ blood was 0.7 μg/l (range: 0.1–15.2 μg/l). The tungsten concentrations in post-shift urine samples varied between 0.2 μg/l and 11.0 μg/l (median: 1.6 μg/l). The cobalt concentration was 1.7 μg/l in blood and 16.2 μg/l in post-shift urine, the nickel concentration in urine was 2.5 μg/l (median values). The workers were exposed to concentrations of the metals which generally decreased from the powder processing area across the sintering hall to the finishing workshop. Respiratory impairment and disorders were monitored as possible reactions. Neither lung function tests nor chest x-ray and computed tomography revealed alterations indicative of hard-metal-induced lung fibrosis.
Conclusions: In general, the employees were exposed to comparatively low levels of tungsten, cobalt and nickel. The present study of workplaces where the refined milling technique was used revealed no conspicuous differences in external and internal exposure from exposures in workplaces using conventional grinding techniques.
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