Characterisation of the biological effect of ultrafine particles in welding fumes after controlled exposure – Effect of the MIG welding of aluminium and the MIG brazing of zinc-coated materials

Long-time exposure to welding fumes is supposed to be responsible for lung disease in some cases [1]. Whether welding fume exposure leads to an impairment of human health seems to be dependent on various factors like fume concentrations, ventilation of the workshops [2, 3], use of personal protection equipment [4-6] and presence of co-factors like cigarette smoking [7]. From different epidemiological and toxicological studies, it is also known that ultrafine particles which are produced by many thermal processes such as welding are able to induce inflammatory processes not only in the lung but also systemically [8-15], thus inducing not only lung injury but also impairment of the cardiovascular system. However, it seems to be evident that health effects of welding fumes also depend on the nature of the fumes, on welding techniques and on base and filler materials. In order to improve the prevention of welding-related diseases, it would be helpful to have better knowledge about the relationship between the potential to induce lung diseases and those welding-related factors (welding techniques and materials).