Health-hazard evaluation report HETA 85-423-1904, General Electric Company, Evendale, Ohio

Technical Report · Wed Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988

OSTI ID:6609353

Burr, G; Singal, M; Hartle, R; Rondinelli, R

A study was made of possible health hazards at the General Electric Company, Evendale, Ohio. Workers were exposed to dusts generated during the grinding of tools and other components containing tungsten carbide. Employee exposure to cobalt, nickel, chromium, tungsten, and total and respirable dust levels were evaluated for 15 machinists working in two cutting and grinding areas. Concentrations of nickel ranged from nondetectable to 20 micrograms/cubic meter (microg/m/sup 3/), time weighted average, which exceeded the NIOSH recommended level of 15 microg/m/sup 3/). Other metals were below permissible levels. A group of 41 individuals participated in a medical study including chest x-ray and determination of blood and urine cobalt concentrations. No evidence of hard-metal disease was noted on the 38 x-rays taken. Only two of ten participants had detectable blood cobalt levels. Of 63 urine specimens, 19 showed detectable cobalt. The authors conclude that a potential hazard existed from airborne exposure to nickel in cutter/grinding areas, and that a potential health hazard from cobalt exposure existed in Building 500.

• Research Organization: National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6609353
• Report Number(s): PB-89-120570/XAB; HETA-85-423-1904
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
552000 -- Public Health
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
AIR POLLUTION
CARBIDES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CHROMIUM
COBALT
DUSTS
ELEMENTS
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION
INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE
INSPECTION
MACHINE TOOLS
MATERIALS
MEDICINE
METALS
NICKEL
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
PARTICLES
PARTICULATES
POLLUTION
REFRACTORY METAL COMPOUNDS
TOOLS
TOXICITY
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
TUNGSTEN
TUNGSTEN CARBIDES
TUNGSTEN COMPOUNDS