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Metal-powder additive-manufacturing dust

Metal powder and resuspended particulate generated during powder-bed fusion, directed-energy deposition, sieving, depowdering, and post-processing.

Airborne form

dust

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

metal inhalation exposureskin exposurerespiratory exposure concern

Evidence

The NIOSH metal-powder additive-manufacturing HHE states that several metals in feedstock powders can cause lung irritation, fibrosis, cough, breathing difficulty, wheezing, asthma, and respiratory hypersensitivity when breathed into the lung; measured breathing-zone levels at the evaluated facility were below applicable occupational exposure limits.

Source: pdf ↗ · saved source
page 8 · Recommendation 4: Use PPE to keep metals and gases out of employees' lungs · 1
Several of the metals in the feedstock powders can cause adverse effects if breathed into the lung. These effects include lung irritation, fibrosis, respiratory symptoms (cough, breathing difficulty, or wheezing), asthma, respiratory hypersensitivity, and neurological symptoms. Measurable levels of metals and gases were present in employees' breathing zones but were below applicable occupational exposure limits.

A 2025 NIOSH health-hazard evaluation examined dermal and inhalation exposure to metals during metal-part printing, powder sieving, depowdering, and post-processing; the evaluated facility included powder-bed-fusion and directed-energy-deposition rooms and dedicated ventilation systems.

Source: html ↗ · saved source
Description · 1
The director of operations and control at a metal powder additive manufacturing facility requested a health hazard evaluation concerning dermal and inhalation exposures to metals in the workplace. ... employees performed a variety of tasks including printing metal parts, sieving powder, de-powdering printed parts, and post-processing of printed parts.

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