Summary
Welding stainless steel with covered electrodes, also called manual metal arc welding, generates hexavalent airborne chromium. Chromium concentrations in air and post-shift urine samples, collected the same arbitrarily chosen working day, showed a linear relationship. Since post-shift urine samples reflect chromium concentrations of both current and previous stainless steel welding fume exposure, individual urine measurements are suggested as approximate although not exact estimators of current exposure. This study evaluates the practical importance of such measurements by means of confidence limits and tests of validity.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Blomquist G, Nilsson C-A, Nygren O (1980) Determination and sampling of hexavalent chromium. Arbetarskyddsstyrelsens Undersökningsrapport 1980:3 Solna (In Swedish)
Borghetti A, Mutti A, Cavatorta A, Falzoi M, Cigala F, Franchini I (1977) Indices rénaux d'exposition aique et d'impregnation chronique par le chrome. Med Lavora 68:353–363
Elkins HB, Pagnotto LD, Smith HL (1974) Concentration adjustments in urinalysis. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 35:559–565
Guthrie BE, Wolf WR, Veillon C, Mertz W (1978) Chromium in urine. Trace Subst Environ Health 12:490–492
Gylseth B, Gundersen N, Langård S (1977) Evaluation of chromium exposure based on a simplified method for urinary chromium determination. Scand J Work Environ Health 3:28–31
Johansson SAE, Johansson TB (1976) Analytical application of particle induced X-ray emission. Nuclear Instruments Methods 137:473–516
Kalliomäki P-L, Rahkonen E, Vaaranen V, Kalliomäki K, Aittoniemi K (1981) Lung-retained contaminants, urinary chromium and nickel among stainless steel welders. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 49:67–75
Kalliomäki P-L, Lakomaa E, Kalliomäk K, Kiilunen M, Kivelä R, Vaaranen V (1983) Stainless steel manual metal arc welding fumes in rats. Br J Ind Med (In press)
Keskinen H, Kalliomäki P-L, Alanko K (1980) Occupational asthma due to stainless steel welding fumes. Clin Allergy 10:151–159
Lautner GM, Carver JC, Konzen RB (1978) Measurement of chromium VI and chromium III in stainless steel welding fumes with electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis and neutron activation analysis. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 39:651–660
Mutti A, Cavatorta A, Pedroni C, Borghi A, Giaroli C, Franchini I (1979) The role of chromium accumulation in the relationship between airborne and urinary chromium in welders. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 43:123–133
Nise G, Vesterberg O (1979) Direct determination of chromium in urine by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry. Scand J Work Environ Health 5:404–410
Nomiyama H, Yotoriyama M, Nomiyama K (1980) Normal chromium levels in urine and blood of Japanese subjects determined by direct flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry, and valency of chromium in urine after exposure to hexavalent chromium. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 41:98–102
Punsar S, Wolf W, Mertz W, Karvonen MJ (1977) Urinary chromium excretion and atherosclerotic manifestations in two Finnish male populations. Ann Clin Res 9:79–83
Rao R (1965) Linear statistical inference and its applications. John Wiley
Schaller K-H, Essing H-G, Valentin H, Schäcke G (1972) Quantitative Chrombestimmung im Harn mit flammenloser Atomabsorptions-Spektrometrie. Z Klin Chem Biochem 10:434–437
Sjögren B (1980) A retrospective cohort study of mortality among stainless steel welders. Scand J Work Environ Health 6:197–200
Snedecor GW, Cochran WG (1980) Statistical methods. Seventh edition. The Iowa State University Press
Thomsen E, Stern RM (1979) A simple analytical technique for the determination of hexavalent chromium in welding fumes and other complex matrices. Scand J Work Environ Health 5:386–403
Tola S, Kilpiö J, Virtamo M, Haapa K (1977) Urinary chromium as an indicator of the exposure of welders to chromium. Scand J Work Environ Health 3:192–202
Tossavainen A, Nurminen M, Mutanen P, Tola S (1980) Application of mathematical modelling for assessing the biological half-times of chromium and nickel in field studies. Br J Ind Med 37:285–291
Ulfvarson U (1981) Survey of air contaminants from welding. Scand J Work Environ Health 7 [Suppl 2] 28
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Supported by a grant from the Swedish Work Environment Found, grant no. 74/55
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sjögren, B., Hedström, L. & Ulfvarson, U. Urine chromium as an estimator of air exposure to stainless steel welding fumes. Int. Arch Occup Environ Heath 51, 347–354 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00378348
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00378348