Identification studies and assessment of exposure to harmful organic substances emitted in high-temperature metal processing that generates ultrafine dusts

Project manager: Małgorzata Szewczyńska Ph.D.

Project summary:

The main aim of the task consisted in conducting studies identifying harmful organic substances based in individual fractions of dusts with aerodynamic particles with the diameter of 10 mm; 2.5 mm and under 0.25 mm emitted in high-temperature metal processing. Selected welding processes and metal processing with the use of inductive heaters, in induction furnaces and rolling were selected for studies within the task. The identification studies that were conducted showed that in the air samples in the gas phase, carbonyl compounds were identified and trace quantities of volatile organic compounds. The methodology of sampling individual dust fractions of various particle size for determining PAH with the use of PEM 2.5 and PEM 10 samplers, and PCSl cascade samplers for sampling dust samples with aerodynamic particle diameter under 0.25 mm was worked out. Part of the working out of the methodology of determination consisted of determining the basic validation parameters of the method, including the ranges of calibration curves, quantification and detection boundaries. The correctness of the method was verified with tests that used certified reference material of ultrafine dusts, and the whole determination procedure, including sampling, was checked in industrial conditions in selected high-temperature metal processing at a workstation with heaters, in a rolling mill and by an inductive furnace.

Unit: Department of Chemical and Aerosol Hazards

Duration: 01.01.2008 – 30.12.2010