Welding fumes are a common occupational exposure. Several different welding fumes can cause similar adverse health
effects. Personal sampling of a welding operation at a manufacturing facility produced the following 8-hour time-weighted
average (TWA) results for individual metal fumes.
Metal Fume Result OSHA PEL ACGIH TLV
Antimony 0.05 mg/m³ 0.5 mg/m³ 0.5 mg/m³
Beryllium 0.00001 mg/m³ 0.002 mg/m³ 0.00005 mg/m³ (I)
Cadmium 0.025 mg/m³ 0.1 mg/m³ 0.01 mg/m³
Chromium 0.02 mg/m³ 1 mg/m³ 0.5 mg/m³
Copper 0.03 mg/m³ 0.1 mg/m³ 0.2 mg/m³
Iron Oxide 0.5 mg/m³ 10 mg/m³ 5 mg/m³ (R)
Magnesium Oxide 0.02 mg/m³ 15 mg/m³ 10 mg/m³
Molybdenum 0.003 mg/m³ 15 mg/m³ 10 mg/m³ (I)
Nickel 0.25 mg/m³ 1 mg/m³ 1.5 mg/m³ (I)
Zinc Oxide 0.3 mg/m³ 5 mg/m³ 2 mg/m³ (R)
(R) Respirable fraction (I) Inhalable fraction
Briefly summarize the primary health effects associated with overexposure to each type of metal fume, including both acute
and chronic health effects. Explain what analytical methods you would use for evaluating health hazards in the workplace.
Identify the types of metal fumes that would produce similar health effects on an exposed worker. Assume that each listed
metal can cause respiratory irritation. Use the equation in 1910.1000(d)(2)(i) to calculate the equivalent exposure (in relation
to OSHA PELS) for the metal fumes with similar health effects based on the “Result” column in the table above. Discuss
whether you believe any of the individual metal fume exposures or the combined exposure exceeds an OSHA PEL or an
ACGIH TLV.
Your homework assignment should be a minimum of two pages in length.
Information about accessing the grading rubric for this assignment is provided below.
