Metals in the work place
→ in every industry where metals are produced or further used
-industry depends in various ways on metal ore extraction and metal fabrication → occupational diseases in many industries
-extraction, fabrication, widespread use of metals are potential hazards → mainly solid form → mostly inhalation of their particles/dusts
→ also via ingestion (drinking and eating when personal hygiene is inadequate), inhalation as gaseous form (mercury), via skin (some can penetrate skin), direct action on skin (nickel)
-processes giving rise to metals in a form that can be absorbed:
- Metal ore extraction (mining of iron ore, manganese, lead, zinc…)
- Metal smelting (e.g. arsenic, cadmium, lead…)
- Metal founding
- Metal machining (beryllium drilling, grinding/polishing, cobalt in dental prostheses)
- Hot meatl processing
- Welding, soldering, brazing and thermal cutting of metals
- Handling of powerful metallic salts (lead batteries, zinc-copper oxide manufacture…)
Metal toxicity
-metals can exists as native material, as different salts or metal ion can exert different toxic effects
-exposure limits depends on form of the metal, chemical valence, or whether it's in form of inorganic or organic compounds
-some metals are necessary for the body to function normally (metals and trace elements: sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, selenium, zinc, iron, cobalt, copper, arsenic…)
→ right amount (range) is essential for the body; higher or lower states are detrimental