Pulmonary effects of welding fumes: Review of worker and experimental animal studies

American Journal of Industrial Medicine

Volumn 43, Issue 4, 2003, Pages 350-360

  Antonini, James M ^a   Lewis, Anthony B ^b   Roberts, Jenny R ^a   Whaley, David A ^b  

^a NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH   (United States)

^b WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY   (United States)

Author keywords

Animal studies; Human studies; Literature review; Lung toxicology; Welding fumes

Indexed keywords

ANIMAL EXPERIMENT; ANIMAL MODEL; CANCER RISK; FEVER; HUMAN; INFECTION SENSITIVITY; LUNG CANCER; LUNG FUNCTION; LUNG INFECTION; MEDICAL LITERATURE; MEDLINE; NONHUMAN; OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE; RESPIRATORY TRACT DISEASE; REVIEW; WELDING FUME;

AIR POLLUTANTS, OCCUPATIONAL; ANIMALS; GASES; HUMANS; INHALATION EXPOSURE; OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES; RESPIRATORY TRACT DISEASES; WELDING;

EID: 12444271073     PISSN: 02713586     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1002/ajim.10194     Document Type: Review

References (88)

1. ACGIH. 2001. Welding fumes, not otherwise specified. In: Documentation of the threshold limit values for chemical substances, 7th edition. Vol. 3. Cincinnati, OH: American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. p 1726-1727.
2. Akbar-Khanzadeh F. 1980. Long-term effects of welding fumes upon respiratory symptoms and pulmonary function. J Occup Med 22:337-341.
3. Akbar-Khanzadeh F. 1993. Short-term respiratory function changes in relation to work shift welding fume exposures. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 64:393-397.
4. American Welding Society. 2001. Ventilation guide for weld fume. Miami, FL: American Welding Society. 34 p.
5. Antonini JM, Krishna Murthy GG, Rogers RA, Albert R, Ulrich GD, Brain JD. 1996. Pneumotoxicity and pulmonary clearance of different welding fumes after intratracheal instillation in the rat. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 140:188-199.
6. Antonini JM, Krishna Murthy GG, Brain JD. 1997. Responses to welding fumes: Lung injury, inflammation, and the release of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1β. Exp Lung Res 23: 205-227.
7. Antonini JM, Clarke RW, Krishna Murthy GG, Sreekanthan P, Jenkins N, Eagar TW, Brain JD. 1998. Freshly generated stainless steel welding fume induced greater lung inflammation in rats as compared to aged fumes. Toxicol Lett 98:77-86.
8. Antonini JM, Lawryk NJ, Krishna Murthy GG, Brain JD. 1999. Effect of welding fume solubility on lung macrophage viability and function in vitro. J Toxicol Environ Health 58:343-363.
9. Antonini JM, Ebeling AR, Roberts JR. 2001. Highly soluble stainless steel welding fume slows the pulmonary clearance of a bacterial pathogen and severely damages the lungs after infection. Toxicol Sci 60:424.
10. Attfield MD, Ross DS. 1978. Radiological abnormalities in electric arc welders. Br J Ind Med 35:117-122.
11. Baker RSU, Arlauskas A, Tandon RK, Crisp PT, Ellis J. 1986. Toxic and genotoxic action of electric arc welding fumes on cultured mammalian cells. J Appl Toxicol 6:357-362.
12. Beach JR, Dennis JH, Avery AJ, Bromly CL, Ward RJ, Walters EH, Stenton SC, Hendrick DJ. 1996. An epidemiologic investigation of asthma in welders. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 154:1394-1400.
13. Beaumont JJ, Weiss NS. 1981. Lung cancer among welders. J Occup Med 23:839-844.
14. Becker N. 1999. Cancer mortality among arc welders exposed to fumes containing chromium and nickel. J Occup Environ Med 41:294-303.
15. Becker N, Claude J, Frentzel-Beyme R. 1985. Cancer risks of arc welders to fumes containing chromium and nickel. Scand J Work Environ Health 11:75-85.
16. Beckett WS. 1996a. Welding. In: Harber P, Schenker MB, Balmes JR, editors. Occupational and environmental respiratory disease. St. Louis, MO: Mosby-Year Book, Inc. p 704-717.
17. Beckett WS, Pace PE, Sferlazza SJ, Perlman GD, Chen AH, Xu XP. 1996b. Airway reactivity in welders: A controlled prospective cohort study. J Occup Environ Med 38:1229-1238.
18. Blanc P, Wong H, Bernstein MS, Boushey HA. 1991. An experimental human model of metal fume fever. Ann Intern Med 114:930-936.
19. Blanc P, Boushey HA, Wong H, Wintermeyer SF, Bernstein MS. 1993. Cytokines in metal fume fever. Am Rev Respir Dis 147:134-138.
20. Boshnakova E, Divanyan S, Zlatarov I, Marovsky SV, Kisyova K, Zanev D, Karev G, Marinova TZ. 1989. Immunological screening of welders. J Hyg Epidemiol Microbiol Immunol 33:379-382.
21. Buerke U, Schneider J, Rosler J, Woitowitz H-J. 2002. Interstitial pulmonary fibrosis after severe exposure to welding fumes. Am J Ind Med 41:259-268.
22. Bureau of Labor. 1999. Occupational Employment Statistics: 1999 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates. Available at htttp://stats.bls.gov/oes/1999/oes514121.htm Accessed 8-17-01.
23. Clapp DE, Owen RJ. 1977. An investigation of potential health hazards of arc welding fume growth with time. Welding J 56:380s-385s.
24. Coate WB. 1985. Toxicity of welding fumes in rats. Miami, FL: American Welding Society. 25 p.
25. Coggon D, Inskip H, Winter P, Pannett B. 1994. Lobar pneumonia: An occupational disease in welders. Lancet 344:41-43.
26. Costa M, Zhitkovich A, Taioli E, Toniolo P. 1993a. Preliminary report on a simple new assay for DNA-protein cross-links as a biomarker of exposures experienced by welders. J Toxicol Environ Health 40:217-222.
27. Costa M, Zhitkovich A, Toniolo P. 1993b. DNA-protein cross-links in welders: Molecular implications. Cancer Res 53:460-463.
28. Danielsen TE, Langard S, Andersen A, Knudsen O. 1993. Incidence of cancer among welders of mild steel and other shipyard workers. Br J Ind Med 50:1097-1103.
29. Danielsen TE, Langard S, Andersen A. 2000. Incidence of cancer among welders and other shipyard workers with information on previous work history. J Occup Environ Med 42:101-109.
30. Doig AT, Challen PJR. 1964. Respiratory hazards in welding. Ann Occup Hyg 7:223-231.
31. Doig AT, McLaughlin AG. 1936. X-ray appearances of the lungs of electric arc welders. Lancet 1:771-775.
32. Doig AT, McLaughlin AG. 1948. Clearing of x-ray shadows in welders. Lancet 1:789-791.
33. Donoghue AM, Glass WI, Herbison GP. 1994. Transient changes in the pulmonary function of welders: A cross sectional study of Monday peak expiratory flow. Occup Environ Med 51:553-556.
34. Enzer N, Sander OA. 1938. Chronic lung changes in electric arc welders. J Ind Hyg 20:333-350.
35. Ferin J, Oberdorster G, Penney DP. 1992. Pulmonary retention of ultrafine and fine particles in rats. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol 6:535-542.
36. Funahashi A, Schlueter DP, Pintar K, Bemis EL, Siegesmund KA. 1988. Welder's pneumoconiosis: Tissue elemental microanalysis by energy dispersive x-ray analysis. Br J Ind Med 45:14-18.
37. Gordon T, Chen LC, Fine JM, Schlesinger RB, Su WY, Kimmel TA, Amdur MO. 1992. Pulmonary effects of inhaled zinc oxide in human subjects, guinea pigs, rats, and rabbits. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 53:503-509.
38. Guidotti TL, Abraham JL, DeNee PB, Smith JR. 1978. Arc welders' pneumoconiosis: Application of advanced scanning electron microscopy. Arch Environ Health 33:117-124.
39. Hansen K, Stern RM. 1985. Welding fumes and chromium compounds in cell transformation assays. J Appl Toxicol 5:306-314.
40. Hansen KS, Lauritsen JM, Skytthe A. 1996. Cancer incidence among mild steel and stainless steel welders and other metal workers. Am J Ind Med 30:373-382.
41. Hedenstedt A, Jenssen D, Lidesten B, Ramel C, Rannug U, Stern RM. 1977. Mutagenicity of fume particles from stainless steel welding. Scand J Work Environ Health 3:203-211.
42. Hewitt PJ. 2001. Strategies for risk assessment and control in welding: Challenges for developing countries. Ann Occup Hyg 45:295-298.
43. Hewitt PJ, Hicks R. 1973. An investigation of the effects of inhaled welding fume in the rat. Ann Occup Hyg 16:213-221.
44. Hicks R, Lam HF, Al-Shamma KJ, Hewitt PJ. 1984. Pneumoconiotic effects of welding-fume particles from mild steel and stainless steel deposited in the lung of the rat. Arch Toxicol 55:1-10.
45. Hobart Institute of Welding Technology. 1977. Pocket Welding Guide. Troy, OH: Hobart Brothers Co. 152 p.
46. Howden DG, Desmeules MJA, Saracci R, Sprince NL, Herber PI. 1988. Respiratory hazards of welding: Occupational exposure characterization. Am Rev Respir Dis 138:1047-1048.
47. IARC. 1990. Chromium, nickel, and welding. In: IARC monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risks to humans. Geneva: IARC. p 447-525.
48. Kleinfeld M, Messite J, Kooyman O, Spiro J. 1969. Welders' siderosis: A clinical roentgenographic and physiological study. Arch Environ Health 19:70-73.
49. Langard S. 1994. Nickel-related cancer in welders. Sci Total Environ 148:303-309.
50. Liss GM. 1996. Health effects of welding and cutting fume - an update. Toronto: Ontario Ministry of Labour. 81 p.
51. Lyttle KA. 1999. Decrease fume, increase productivity: Optimized consumables selection for an improved working environment and reduced welding costs. In: International Institute of Welding Conference Proceedings: The Human Factor and its Environment, Lisbon, Portugal: International Institute of Welding.
52. Martin CJ, Guidotti TL, Langard S. 1997. Respiratory hazards of welding. Clin Pulm Med 4:194-204.
53. Maxild J, Andersen M, Kiel P, Stern RM. 1978. Mutagenicity of fume particles from metal arc welding on stainless steel in the salmonella/ microsome test. Mutat Res 56:235-243.
54. Migai KV, Norkin YN. 1965. The biological action of electric welding dusts and gases formed in the welding of special steels using chrome-nickel electrodes. Nauch Raboty Inst Okhrany Tr Vses Tsentr Sovet Prof Syuzov 2:45-53.
55. Morgan WKC. 1962. Arc welders' lung complications by conglomeration. Am Rev Respir Dis 85:570-575.
56. Morgan WKC. 1989. On welding, wheezing, and whimsy. Am Ind Hyg Assoc J 50:59-69.
57. Moulin JJ. 1997. A meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies of lung cancer in welders. Scand J Work Environ Health 23:104-113.
58. Moulin JJ, Wild P, Haguenoer JM, Faucon D, DeGaudemaris R, Mur JM, Mereau M, Gary Y, Toamain JP, Birembaut Y, et al. 1993. A mortality study among mild steel and stainless steel welders. Br J Ind Med 50:234-243.
59. Mur JM, Teculescu D, Pham QT, Gaertner M, Massin N, Meyer-Bisch C, Moulin JJ, Diebold F, Pierre F. 1985. Lung function and clinical findings in a cross-sectional study of arc welders: An epidemiological study. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 57:1-18.
60. Oberdorster G, Ferin J, Gelein R, Soderholm SC, Finkelstein J. 1992. Role of alveolar macrophage in lung injury: Studies with ultrafine particles. Environ Health Perspect 97:193-197.
61. Oxhoj H, Bake B, Wedel H, Wilhelmsen L. 1979. Effects of electric arc welding on ventilatory function. Arch Environ Health 34:211-217.
62. Palmer WG, Eaton JC. 2001. Effects of welding on health - XI. Miami, FL: American Welding Society. 66 p.
63. Peto J. 1985. Cancer morbidity and mortality studies of welders. In: Stern RM, Fletcher AC, editors. Health hazards and biological effects of welding fumes and gases. Amsterdam: Excerpta Medica. p 423-434.
64. Popp W, Vahrenholz C, Schmieding W, Krewet E, Norpoth K. 1991. Investigations of the frequency of DNA strand breaks and cross-linking and of sister chromatid exchange in the lymphocytes of electric welders exposed to chromium- and nickel-containing fumes. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 63:115-120.
65. Quievryn G, Goulat M, Messer J, Zhitkovich A. 2001. Reduction of Cr (VI) by cysteine: Significance in human lymphocytes and formation of DNA damage in reactions with variable reduction rates. Mol Cell Biochem 222:107-118.
66. Reuzel PGJ, Beems RB, DeRaat WK, Lohman PHM. 1985. Carcinogenicity and in vitro genotoxicity of the particulate fraction of two stainless steel welding fumes. In: Stern RM, Berlin A, Fletcher AC, Jarvisalo J, editors. Proceedings of the International Conference on Health Hazards and Biological Effects of Welding Fumes and Gases. New York: Excerpta Medica, New York. p 329-332.
67. Rosler JA, Woitowitz H-J. 1996. Welder's siderosis progressing to interstitial pulmonary fibrosis after ongoing exposure to welding fumes. Eur Resp J Suppl 9:220S.
68. Sferlazza SJ, Beckett WS. 1991. The respiratory health of welders. Am Rev Respir Dis 143:1134-1148.
69. Silberschmid M. 1985. Acute pneumonitis progressing to pulmonary fibrosis in a welder. In: Stern RM, Berlin A, Jarvisalo J, editors. Health hazards and biological effects of welding fumes and gases. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science Publishing. p 415-418.
70. Simonato L, Fletcher AC, Andersen A, Andersen K, Becker N, Chang-Claude J, Ferro G, Gerin M, Gray CN, Hansen KS, et al. 1991. A historical prospective study of European stainless steel, mild steel, and shipyard welders. Br J Ind Med 48:145-154.
71. Simonsson BG, Nielsen J, Karlsson S-E, Horstman V, Kronholm-Diab K, Skerfving S. 1995. A prospective study on bronchial responsiveness in newly employed workers exposed to substances potentially harmful to the airways. Eur Resp J 8:194S.
72. Sjogren B, Gustavsson A, Hedstrom L. 1987. Mortality in two cohorts of welders exposed to high- and low-levels of hexavalent chromium. Scand J Work Environ Health 13:247-251.
73. Sjogren B, Stragis Hansen K, Kjuus H, Persson P-G. 1994. Exposure to stainless steel welding fumes and lung cancer: A meta-analysis. Occup Environ Med 51:335-336.
74. Sobaszek A, Boulenguez C, Frimat P, Robin H, Haguenoer JM, Edme J-L. 2000. Acute respiratory effects of exposure to stainless steel and mild steel welding fumes. J Occup Environ Med 42:923-931.
75. Steenland K, Beaumont J, Elliot L. 1991. Lung cancer in mild steel welders. Am J Epidemiol 133:220-229.
76. Stern RM. 1981. Process-dependent risk of delayed health effects for welders. Environ Health Perspect 41:235-253.
77. Stern RM. 1983. Assessment of risk of lung cancer for welders. Arch Environ Health 38:148-155.
78. Stern RM, Hansen K. 1985. Nickel and chromium compounds and welding fumes in mammalian cell transformation bioassay in vitro. In: Stern RM, Berlin A, Fletcher A, Jarvisalo J, editors. Biological effects and health hazards of welding fumes and gases. Amsterdam: Elsevier Press, Amsterdam. p 305-310.
79. Tuschl H, Weber E, Kovac R. 1997. Investigations on immune parameters in welders. J Appl Toxicol 17:377-383.
80. Villaume JE, Wasti K, Liss-Suter D, Hsiao S. 1979. Effects of welding on health. Miami, FL: American Welding Society. 121 p.
81. Vogelmeier C, Konig G, Benze K, Fruhmann G. 1987. Pulmonary involvement in zinc fume fever. Chest 92:946-948.
82. Wang ZP, Larsson K, Malmberg P, Sjogren B, Hallberg BO, Wrangskog K. 1994. Asthma, lung function, and bronchial responsiveness in welders. Am J Ind Med 26:741-754.
83. Wergeland E, Iversen BG. 2001. Deaths from pneumonia after welding. Scand J Work Environ Health 27:353.
84. White LR, Hunt J, Tetley TD, Richards RJ. 1981. Biochemical and cellular effects of welding fume particles in the rat lung. Ann Occup Hyg 24:93-101.
85. White LR, Hunt J, Richards RJ, Eik-Nes KB. 1982. Biochemical studies of rat lung following exposure to potassium dichromate or chromium-rich welding fume particles. Toxicol Lett 11:159-163.
86. Yamamoto S, Katagiri K, Ando M, Chen X-Q. 2001. Suppression of pulmonary antibacterial defense mechanisms and lung damage in mice exposed to fluoride aerosol. J Toxicol Environ Health 62:485-494.
87. Yu IJ, Kim KJ, Chang HK, Song KS, Han KT, Han JH, Maeng SH, Chung YH, Park SH, Chung KH, Han JS, Chung HK. 2000. Pattern of deposition of stainless steel welding fume particles inhaled into the respiratory systems of Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to a novel welding fume generating system. Toxicol Lett 116:103-111.
88. Yu IJ, Song KS, Chang HK, Han JH, Kim KJ, Chung YH, Maeng SH, Park SH, Han KT, Chung KH, Chung HK. 2001. Lung fibrosis in Sprague-Dawley rats induced by exposure to manual metal arc-stainless steel welding fumes. Toxicol Sci 63:99-106.