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Citation
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HERO ID
3285560
Reference Type
Journal Article
Title
Air exposure assessment and biological monitoring of manganese and other major welding fume components in welders
Author(s)
Ellingsen, D; Dubeikovskaya, L; Dahl, K; Chashchin, M; Chashchin, V; Zibarev, E; Thomassen, Y
Year
2006
Is Peer Reviewed?
Yes
Journal
Journal of Environmental Monitoring
ISSN:
1464-0325
EISSN:
1464-0333
Volume
8
Issue
10
Page Numbers
1078-1086
Language
English
PMID
17240914
DOI
10.1039/b605549d
Web of Science Id
WOS:000241057700030
Abstract
In a cross-sectional study, 96 welders were compared with 96 control subjects. Also 27 former welders, all diagnosed as having manganism, were examined. Exposure to welding fumes was determined in the 96 welders, while the concentration of elements in whole blood and urine was determined in all subjects. The geometric mean (GM) concentrations of manganese (Mn) and iron in the workroom air were 97 microg m(-3) (range 3-4620 microg m(-3); n=188) and 894 microg m(-3) (range 106-20 300 microg m(-3); n=188), respectively. Thus the Mn concentration in the workroom air was on average 10.6% (GM) of that of the Fe concentration. No substantial difference was observed in the air Mn concentrations when welding mild steel as compared to welding stainless steel. The arithmetic mean (AM) concentration of Mn in whole blood (B-Mn) was about 25% higher in the welders compared to the controls (8.6 vs. 6.9 microg l(-1); p < 0.001), while the difference in the urinary Mn concentrations did not attain statistical significance. A Pearson's correlation coefficient of 0.31 (p < 0.01) was calculated between B-Mn and Mn in the workroom air that was collected the day before blood sampling. Although the exposure to welding fumes in the patients had ceased on average 5.8 years prior to the study (range 4 years-7 years), their AM B-Mn concentration was still higher than in referents of similar age (8.7 microg l(-1) vs. 7.0 microg l(-1)). However, their urinary concentrations of cobolt, iron and Mn were all statistically significantly lower.
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