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1751948 
Technical Report 
Lung Contamination Among Workers Exposed To Dust With An Iron Component. Magnetic Measurements And Radiographic Findings 
Mattsson, T; Kalliomaki, PL; Korhonen, O; Vaaranen, V 
1985 
NIOSH/00158307 
29 November 
719-731 
The degree of lung contamination experienced by workers exposed to dusts containing an iron (7439896) component was studied. A total of 51 mild steel arc welders, 68 stainless steel welders, and 10 iron foundry workers submitted to clinical examinations that included detailed occupational histories. The lung function tests performed included spirometry, flow volume curves, the transfer factor and closing volume, with stainless steel welders also undergo histamine provocation tests. The radiographic examinations conducted included two full size posteroanterior chest films taken at 125 and 70 to 80 kiloVolts and one 125 kiloVolt lateral film. The method used to measure ferromagnetic pulmonary contamination was based on the permanent magnetic field of magnetized particles; the results obtained were expressed as the average magnetic fluid (AMF) and converted to the estimated amount of contaminants in the lungs. The amount of dust retained in the lungs of mild steel arc welders ranged from 13 to 2,000 milligrams (mg) as a function of exposure duration. The amount of dust retained in the lungs of stainless steel workers averaged about 20mg for tungsten inert gas welders and 600mg for manual metal arc welders. Here, changes that could be attributed to inhaled dust were encountered in 17 subjects, with an additional 30 individuals exhibiting very discrete changes. The typical amount of retained contaminants detected among iron foundry workers ranged from 30 to 600mg, with siderotic lesions noted in all subjects. In this instance, radiographic findings correlated with measured AMF values. A correlation was seen to exist between radiographic findings and the amount of contaminants retained in the lungs for mild steel arc welders and iron foundry workers. The authors conclude that the determination of whether or not a correlation exists between retained lung dust content and inhaled pollutant concentrations will require the performance of systematic followup studies. 
DCN-145992; Pulmonary system; Dust exposure; Occupational hazards; Work capacity; Industrial exposures; Exposure levels; Chemical composition