Assessment of biological chromium among stainless steel and mild steel welders in relation to welding processes

Air and biological monitoring were used for assessing external and internal chromium exposure among 116 stainless steel welders (SS welders) using manual metal arc (MMA), metal inert gas (MIG) and tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding processes (MMA: n = 57; MIG: n = 37; TIG: n = 22) and 30 mild steel welders (MS welders) using MMA and MIG welding processes (MMA: n = 14; MIG: n = 16). The levels of atmospheric total chromium were evaluated after personal air monitoring. The mean values for the different groups of SS welders were 201 μg/m³ (MMA) and 185 μg/m³ (MIG), 52 μg/m³ (TIG) and for MS welders 8.1 μg/m³ (MMA) and 7.3 μg/m³ (MIG). The curve of cumulative frequency distribution from biological monitoring among SS welders showed chromium geometric mean concentrations in whole blood of 3.6 μg/l (95th percentile = 19.9), in plasma of 3.3 μg/l (95th percentile = 21.0) and in urine samples of 6.2 μg/l (95th percentile = 58.0). Among MS welders, mean values in whole blood and plasma were rather more scattered (1.8 μg/l, 95th percentile = 9.3 and 1.3 μg/l, 95th percentile = 8.4, respectively) and in urine the value was 2.4 μg/l (95th percentile = 13.3). The analysis of variance of chromium concentrations in plasma previously showed a metal effect (F = 29.7, P < 0.001), a process effect (F = 22.2, P < 0.0001) but no metal–process interaction (F = 1.3, P = 0.25). Concerning urinary chromium concentration, the analysis of variance also showed a metal effect (F = 30, P < 0.0001), a process effect (F = 72, P < 0.0001) as well as a metal–process interaction (F = 13.2, P = 0.0004). Throughout the study we noted any significant differences between smokers and non-smokers among welders. Taking in account the relationships between chromium concentrations in whole, plasma or urine and the different welding processes, MMA-SS is definitely different from other processes because the biological values are clearly higher. These higher levels are due to the very significant concentrations of total soluble chromium, mainly hexa- valent chromium, in welding fumes. Received: 9 May 1996 / Accepted: 14 March 1997