32 Changes in Exposure and Related Health Effects After Preventive Actions at Black Steel Welding Environments

Welding fume constitutes a source of particles and dust that effects a large number of individuals at occupational environments throughout the world. Besides being classified as a carcinogen, welding fume has potential inflammatory properties and has been linked to cardiovascular disease. To further increase the knowledge regarding potential health and inflammatory effects, workers at occupational environments with exposure to welding fume were investigated before but also after extensive preventive actions to investigate potential effects that may be pathways for cardiovascular disease. Exposure was assessed by collecting respirable dust through stationary and personal sampling at multiple occasions over the study. Dust was used for metal analysis by ICP-MS. Particle levels were assessed by using three handheld particle-counting instruments, Lighthouse 3016-IAQ (0.3-10 µm), DustTrak 8520 (0.1-10µm) and Philips Aerasense NanoTracer (10-300 nm). A total of approximately 100 individuals were screened at the beginning and end of a workweek at the beginning of the study and again after two years after the companies had introduced a wide range of preventive actions to reduce the exposure of the workforce. Participants had metals measured in both blood and urine, markers used in clinical practice for stress in different tissues were measured, lung function using spirometry was done and a set of 40 different acute inflammatory markers were measured using electrochemiluminiscence. The study adds to the growing knowledge of effects of welding fumes on human health and how preventive actions may affect this.