Abstract
The most important welding processes used are the gas metal arc (GMA) welding, the tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding, and the manual metal arc (MMA) welding processes. The goal of our investigation was to monitor the distribution of iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) in the lung, spleen, liver, and kidney of mice after inhalation exposure of different welding methods using different steel base materials. The treatment groups were the following: MMA-mild steel, MMA-molybdenum-manganese (MoMn) alloy, TIG-mild steel, and TIG-stainless steel. The samples were taken 24 and 96h after the treatments. Most importantly, it was found that the Mn concentration in the lung' samples of the MMA-mild steel and the MMA-MoMn groups was increased extremely at both sampling times and in the spleen' samples also. In the TIG groups, the rise of the Mn concentration was only considerable in the lungs and spleens at 24h, and emerged concentration was found in the liver in 96h samples. Histopathology demonstrated emerged siderin content in the spleens of the treated animals and in siderin filled macrophages in the lungs mostly in all treated groups. Traces of high-level glycogen retention was found in the MMA groups at both sampling times. Similar glycogen retention in TIG-Ms and TIG stainless group's liver samples and emerged number of vacuoles, especially in the hepatocytes of the TIG-stainless steel 96h group were also found. The mentioned results raise the consequence that there is a considerable difference in the kinetics of the Mn distribution between the MMA- and the TIG-fume-treated groups. Hence, the result suggests that manganese has a particle-size-dependent toxico-kinetics property. The anomaly of the glycogen metabolism indicates the systemic effect of the welding fumes. Also, the numerous vacuoles mentioned above show a possible liver-specific adverse effect of some components of the TIG-stainless steel welding fumes.
Highlights
Welding is the most often used joining method of metals in the industrial manufacturing worldwide
The most important finding in this examination that should be emphasized is that the Mn concentration in the covering material of the OK 46.00 and the OK 74.78 welding sticks which were measured as 18.05 m/m% and 3.15 m/m% respectively
The grains were not coarser than in the control. These results show that there is a method-based difference between the experimental groups, but between the groups treated using the same welding method, there is no real difference despite the different welding materials or base metals
Summary
Welding is the most often used joining method of metals (especially steel) in the industrial manufacturing worldwide. Since welding requires high skills, these workers are precious human resources of the manufacturers and often there are shortages from skilled enough personnel on this field for example in our country and whole Europe as well. In this aspect, it can be concluded that welding has a high economic and healthcare impact. Workers affected by the fume exposure of welding are often suffering from moderate to high-level respiratory function changes, pulmonary fibrosis, siderosis and deposition of other metal particles in the lungs, and even from lung cancer. Fume- and dust exposure from other sources play a role in the pathomechanism (Al-Otaibi 2014, Flynn &Susi 2010, Kazi et al 2021, Mur et al 1989, Sferlazza &Beckett 1991)
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