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Aluminum powder and welding-fume dust

Airborne particulate from aluminum powder, pyro powders, and welding fumes.

Airborne form

fume

The form describes what is suspended in air at the point of exposure. A material can produce more than one form, such as dust during handling and fume during heating.

Health effects

skin irritationrespiratory irritationpulmonary fibrosisconstituent-specific welding-fume hazards

Evidence

The current NIOSH Pocket Guide sets aluminum exposure limits at 10 mg/m³ total and 5 mg/m³ respirable, describes silvery-white odorless metal, and identifies finely divided dust as easily ignited and potentially explosive; it reports eye, skin, and respiratory irritation.

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Exposure Limits; Physical Description; Flammability; Exposure Routes; Symptoms · 1
NIOSH REL TWA 10 mg/m³ (total) TWA 5 mg/m³ (resp). Physical Description Silvery-white, malleable, ductile, odorless metal. Combustible Solid, finely divided dust is easily ignited; may cause explosions. Exposure Routes inhalation, skin and/or eye contact. Symptoms irritation eyes, skin, respiratory system.

NIOSH identifies skin and respiratory irritation and pulmonary fibrosis as effects associated with aluminum pyro powders and welding fumes.

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Exposure Limits; Exposure Routes; Symptoms; Target Organs · 1
NIOSH REL TWA 5 mg/m³. Exposure Routes inhalation, ingestion, skin and/or eye contact. Symptoms irritation skin, respiratory system; pulmonary fibrosis. Target Organs Skin, respiratory system.

The NIOSH/OSHA review reports minimal health hazard findings for the cited aluminum-metal dust study, while aluminum welding fumes may contain fluorine, arsenic, copper, silicon, and beryllium.

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ALUMINUM METAL DUST · 2
Aluminum metal dust has been shown to present a minimal health hazard ... No deleterious lung or systemic effects were observed as a result of exposure to aluminum metal dust having a particle size of 1.2 um at calculated concentrations equivalent to 2 mg/m³ over an 8-hour workshift.
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ALUMINUM WELDING FUMES · 1
Aluminum welding may generate fumes consisting of fluorine, arsenic, copper, silicon, and beryllium.

The Government of Canada assessment reports aluminosis as a respiratory effect observed in workers exposed to very high concentrations of fine aluminum dust, while noting that exposure context and co-exposures matter.

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Human health · 1
Aluminosis is the most commonly reported respiratory effect observed in workers exposed to very high concentrations of fine aluminium dusts.

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