Monitoring concentrations of select metals in workplace smelter airborne particulates using a Grimm 1.109 Real-time Portable Aerosol Spectrometer

Abstract

Particulates containing hazardous metals and metal fumes are common in the metal smelting industry. Exposure of workers to these smelter particulates has been documented to lead to adverse health effects. In this study, select metals contained in respirable, PM10, and total dust samples where correlated to readings of a Grimm 1.109 aerosol measuring instrument in an effort to see if with the use of correction factors the metals can be accurately determined when compared to metal concentrations reported by the laboratory analysis of respirable, PM10, and total dust samples. In all, there were 16 sampling events, with three respirable, three PM10, and three total dust samples collected during each sampling event. The four metals of particular interest analyzed by the laboratory were cadmium, arsenic, lead, and copper. To more accurately and precisely determine metal concentrations when using the Grimm 1.109 with correction factors, further sampling is needed with the collection of process variables such as ore feedstock metal concentrations, process operation parameters, and weather conditions that can be included into linear regression models. Statistical model results suggest that this methodology of using metal specific correction factors to adjust Grimm 1.109 measured particulate matter concentrations to determine the selected metal concentrations in a smelter environment are within statistically accepted criteria and can be used to determine the metal concentrations in the smelter industry.