dusts.org
← All dusts

Dust entry

Welding fumes

Fumes generated when metals are joined or cut by heat, pressure, or both; composition and hazards vary with the process and materials.

Airborne form

fumemixed

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 fume feverflu-like illnessbreathing difficultycoughinterstitial pneumonitispotential occupational carcinogen

Evidence

The NIOSH Pocket Guide defines welding fumes as fumes generated by joining or cutting metal by heat, pressure, or both; it identifies inhalation and skin or eye contact routes and reports metal fume fever, breathing difficulty, cough, interstitial pneumonitis, and a potential occupational carcinogen designation.

Source: html ↗ · saved source
Physical Description; Exposure Routes; Symptoms; Target Organs · 1
Physical Description Fumes generated by the process of joining or cutting pieces of metal by heat, pressure, or both. Exposure Routes inhalation, skin and/or eye contact. Symptoms vary depending upon the specific component of the welding fumes; metal fume fever: flu-like symptoms, dyspnea (breathing difficulty), cough, muscle pain, fever, chills; interstitial pneumonitis; [potential occupational carcinogen].

HSE states that welding fume is associated with occupational lung disease including lung cancer, and reports metal fume fever, increased pneumococcal-pneumonia risk, possible COPD, and welder's lung among welding-fume health risks.

Source: html ↗ · saved source
Acute respiratory health effects; Chronic respiratory health effects · 1
Both acute and chronic health risks are associated with welding fume. Occupational lung disease, including lung cancer, is the most common health risk ... Metal fume fever ... Welders are at an increased risk of developing pneumococcal pneumonia ... exposure to welding fume may cause COPD ... Welder's lung normally describes metal deposition in the lung from exposure to welding fume.

CDC/NIOSH reports that studies have found increased risk of pneumonia and death among welders and other workers exposed to metal fumes and mineral dusts, and that metal-fume exposure may increase susceptibility to lung infection.

Source: html ↗ · saved source
What is welder's anthrax?; Prevention · 1
Several studies have shown an increased risk of pneumonia and death among welders and other workers exposed to metal fumes and mineral dusts. Research suggests it is possible that exposure to metal fumes might increase susceptibility to lung infection.

A NIOSH health-hazard evaluation of an architectural metal fabrication shop analyzed welding exposures to 31 metals and found no sampled exposure at or above the applicable occupational exposure limits; the report still describes welding-fume constituents and recommends controlling welding emissions to the lowest feasible concentration.

Source: html-and-pdf ↗ · saved source
page 5 · Our Key Findings · 1
None of employees’ exposures were at or above the occupational exposure limits for the 31 metals we analyzed.

Controls