title: Human biomonitoring of aluminium after a single, controlled manual metal arc inert gas welding process of an aluminium-containing worksheet in nonwelders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Several existing field studies evaluate aluminium welding works but no thoroughly controlled exposure scenario for welding fume has been described yet. This study provides information about the uptake and elimination of aluminium from welding fumes under controlled conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the Aachen Workplace Simulation Laboratory, we are able to generate welding fumes of a defined particle mass concentration. We exposed 12, until then occupationally unexposed participants with aluminium-containing welding fumes of a metal inert gas (MIG) welding process of a total dust mass concentration of 2.5 mg/m(3) for 6 h. Room air filter samples were collected, and the aluminium concentration in air derived. Urine and plasma samples were collected directly before and after the 6-h lasting exposure, as well as after 1 and 7 days. Human biomonitoring methods were used to determine the aluminium content of the samples with high-resolution continuum source atomic absorption spectrometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Urinary aluminium concentrations showed significant changes after exposure compared to preexposure levels (mean t(1) (0 h) 13.5 µg/L; mean t(2) (6 h) 23.5 µg/L). Plasma results showed the same pattern but pre-post comparison did not reach significance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We were able to detect a significant increase of the internal aluminium burden of a single MIG aluminium welding process in urine, while plasma failed significance. Biphasic elimination kinetic can be observed. The German BAT of 60 µg/g creatinine was not exceeded, and urinary aluminium returned nearly to baseline concentrations after 7 days.
authors.affiliation: Medical Faculty, Institute for Occupational Medicine and Social Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstr. 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany. jbertram@ukaachen.de.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bertram
authors.affiliation: Medical Faculty, Institute for Occupational Medicine and Social Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstr. 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brand
authors.affiliation: Medical Faculty, Institute for Occupational Medicine and Social Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstr. 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.affiliation: Medical Faculty, Institute for Occupational Medicine and Social Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstr. 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schettgen
authors.affiliation: Medical Faculty, Institute for Occupational Medicine and Social Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstr. 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Veronika
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kossack
authors.affiliation: ISF - Welding and Joining Institute, Aachen University of Technology, Pontstr. 49, 52062, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lenz
authors.affiliation: ISF - Welding and Joining Institute, Aachen University of Technology, Pontstr. 49, 52062, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Ellwyn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Purrio
authors.affiliation: ISF - Welding and Joining Institute, Aachen University of Technology, Pontstr. 49, 52062, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Reisgen
authors.affiliation: Medical Faculty, Institute for Occupational Medicine and Social Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstr. 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kraus
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000032:analysis; D000535:Aluminum / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D005741:Noble Gases / Q000633:toxicity; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis*; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic / Q000379:methods; D014896:Welding / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D004391:Dust; D005741:Noble Gases; D000535:Aluminum
keywords: Aluminium; Biomonitoring; Metal inert gas welding; Welding fumes