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Arc welding of steels and pulmonary fibrosis

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Abstract

This paper summarises the increasing epidemiological and experimental evidence of the causal link between exposure to high concentrations of welding fume exposure for prolonged periods of time and the subsequent development of pulmonary fibrosis in a relatively small number of people. It is not yet clear which components of welding fume or gases are the cause, but the most likely culprits are the soluble transition metals which may cause the formation of free radicals. The most likely work scenario leading to pulmonary fibrosis due to welding fume is of high fume exposure, without effective local extraction and respiratory protection, in confined spaces for long periods of time. Avoidance of high exposures for long periods of time is required to prevent this condition. For clarity, the term “pulmonary fibrosis due to prolonged exposure to welding fume at high concentration” is suggested when there is shown to be a causal link in an individual, and we recommend that the terms siderofibrosis and arc welder’s lung are abandoned.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all the members of Commission VIII of the International Institute of Welding and Paul Cullinan for their tremendous support, advice and cooperation in developing and writing this document. We would also like to thank Paul Stevenson and the British Library for their help with undertaking the literature search and obtaining the papers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health and Wellbeing, Airedale Hospital, Skipton Rd, Steeton, Keighley, West Yorkshire, BD20 6TD, UK

    Martin Cosgrove

  2. Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance, Institute of the Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum, Germany

    Wolfgang Zschiesche

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  1. Martin Cosgrove
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  2. Wolfgang Zschiesche
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Correspondence to Martin Cosgrove.

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Recommended for publication by Commission VIII - Health, Safety, and Environment

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Cosgrove, M., Zschiesche, W. Arc welding of steels and pulmonary fibrosis. Weld World 60, 191–199 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40194-015-0283-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40194-015-0283-7

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