Hygienic Characteristics of the Air Pollution in the Welding Working Area in Shipbuilding (the Case of St. Petersburg Shipyards)

Abstract

Laboratory tests of air pollution at shipbuilding enterprises have shown that dust particles of welding aerosol consist of both poorly soluble Al, Fe, Ti and Pb compounds and Co, Cr, Cu, Mn and V compounds that are highly soluble in an artificial solution, while their ratio varies depending on the welding method. The purpose of this article was to perform a hygiene assessment of the air pollution in the shipyards’ working areas, taking into account solubility test results for the metal compounds contained in the welding aerosol. Materials and methods. The object of the study were the welding processes of two shipyards in St. Petersburg, Russia. We collected 97 air samples from under the welder’s face shield using 5.0 µm membrane filters and SKC Sidekick personal pumps. The soluble and insoluble chemical compounds of the welding aerosol in the artificial solution were analysed using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (Thermo Scientific Element XR) and an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (Perkin Elmer Optima 7300V). Results. Significant differences were established between the enterprises in the shift-weighted average concentrations of chemicals in the air of welding areas: by the factor of 19.6 for manganese (181.04 and 3563.80 µg/m3) and 1.5 for iron (1291.71 and 862.49 µg/m3). We recorded a wide range of shift-weighted average concentrations of welding aerosols with a complex chemical composition in the welding working areas. However, there were significant hygienic differences in the test results between the shipyards. One of the important characteristics of welding aerosol studied here is the solubility of its elements, which determines the ability of toxic substances to penetrate through the lung tissue into the bloodstream, causing acute or chronic health effects. Thus, hygiene assessments of the air pollution in the working areas in shipbuilding should be based on a personalized approach and take into account changes in the welding methods applied, types of welding materials, etc.