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Zinc oxide dust and fume

Airborne zinc oxide dust and fume generated during handling, heating, welding, and metal-processing work.

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

metal fume feverchillsfevermuscle achenauseacoughchest tightnessshortness of breathdecreased pulmonary function

Evidence

The current NIOSH Pocket Guide distinguishes zinc oxide dust and fume exposure limits and identifies metal fume fever, respiratory symptoms, and decreased pulmonary function as effects associated with exposure.

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Exposure Limits; Exposure Routes; Symptoms · 1
NIOSH REL Dust: TWA 5 mg/m3 C 15 mg/m3; Fume: TWA 5 mg/m3 ST 10 mg/m3. Exposure Routes inhalation. Symptoms Metal fume fever ... chest tightness; dyspnea ... rales, decreased pulmonary function.

NIOSH identifies metal fume fever and a broad set of respiratory and systemic symptoms, including cough, chest tightness, breathing difficulty, rales, and decreased pulmonary function.

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Exposure Limits; Exposure Routes; Symptoms; Target Organs · 1
NIOSH REL Dust: TWA 5 mg/m³ C 15 mg/m³; Fume: TWA 5 mg/m³ ST 10 mg/m³. Exposure Routes inhalation. Symptoms Metal fume fever: chills, muscle ache, nausea, fever, dry throat, cough; lassitude (weakness, exhaustion); metallic taste; headache; blurred vision; low back pain; vomiting; malaise (vague feeling of discomfort); chest tightness; dyspnea (breathing difficulty), rales, decreased pulmonary function. Target Organs respiratory system.

NIOSH reports delayed chills, shortness of breath, and severe chest pains after high zinc exposures and gives a revised IDLH of 500 mg/m³.

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Human data; Revised IDLH · 1
Workers exposed to zinc concentrations between 320 to 580 mg/m³ for 1-3 hours have experienced nausea on the job, and chills, shortness of breath, and severe chest pains 2 to 12 hours later ... The revised IDLH for zinc oxide is 500 mg/m³ based on acute inhalation toxicity data in humans.

The NIOSH/OSHA review identifies metal fume fever as the prevalent toxic effect of zinc oxide fume and describes chills, fever, muscular pain, nausea, and vomiting.

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ZINC OXIDE FUME · 3
The most prevalent toxic effect of zinc oxide fume is a condition known as “metal fume fever,” whose symptoms include chills, fever, muscular pain, nausea, and vomiting.

Controls