54 Nickel Exposure During Abrasive Tasks – Influence of the Nickel Content of the Material

Abstract Nickel is widely used for the production of steel and alloys. It can provoke nickel allergy and several nickel compounds are classified as carcinogens. Data on the level of exposure of welders have been published repeatedly. However, data on nickel exposure during abrasive work are limited. The aim of this study is to estimate the nickel exposure during abrasive tasks taking into account the nickel content of the material. Data from the German exposure database MEGA are used for the study. The material used is classified according to its nickel content into three groups: less than 5% (mild steel); 5 to 30% (stainless steel); more than 30% (nickel-base alloy). Additionally task and year of measurement are defined as criteria for the statistical evaluations. Percentiles are calculated and, if sufficient data is available, regression methods are used. Between 1975 and 2016, about 6700 measurements from nickel in the inhalable dust fraction in MEGA are related to abrasive tasks. For grinding (wet and dry combined) the 50th percentile was 0.0024 mg Ni/m3 for mild steel, 0.052 mg/m3 for stainless steel and 0.16 mg/m3 for nickel-base alloys during 1990-2006. After 2006 measurements were mainly performed during dry grinding. These measurements resulted in similar exposures. Further results are presented for polishing, milling and drilling. The high differences in the level of exposure to nickel caused by different nickel content of the material show that this information should be collected when measuring nickel exposure at workplaces where abrasive tasks with steel and alloys are performed.