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Modelling of occupational exposure to inhalable nickel compounds

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 27, pages 427–433 (2017)Cite this article

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to estimate average occupational exposure to inhalable nickel (Ni) using the German exposure database MEGA. This database contains 8052 personal measurements of Ni collected between 1990 and 2009 in adjunct with information on the measurement and workplace conditions. The median of all Ni concentrations was 9 μg/m3 and the 95th percentile was 460 μg/m3. We predicted geometric means (GMs) for welders and other occupations centered to 1999. Exposure to Ni in welders is strongly influenced by the welding process applied and the Ni content of the used welding materials. Welding with consumable electrodes of high Ni content (>30%) was associated with 10-fold higher concentrations compared with those with a low content (<5%). The highest exposure levels (GMs ≥20 μg/m3) were observed in gas metal and shielded metal arc welders using welding materials with high Ni content, in metal sprayers, grinders and forging-press operators, and in the manufacture of batteries and accumulators. The exposure profiles are useful for exposure assessment in epidemiologic studies as well as in industrial hygiene. Therefore, we recommend to collect additional exposure-specific information in addition to the job title in community-based studies when estimating the health risks of Ni exposure.

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Author notes

  1. Benjamin Kendzia and Beate Pesch: These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine of the German Social Accident Insurance, Institute of the Ruhr University Bochum (IPA), Bochum, Germany

    Benjamin Kendzia, Beate Pesch, Wolfgang Zschiesche, Thomas Behrens, Tobias Weiss & Thomas Brüning

  2. Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA), Sankt Augustin, Germany

    Dorothea Koppisch, Rainer Van Gelder, Katrin Pitzke & Roger Stamm

  3. University of Montreal Hospital Research Center (CRCHUM) and School of Public Health, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    Jack Siemiatycki & Jerome Lavoué

  4. Institute for Medical Informatics, Biometry, and Epidemiology, University Hospital of Essen, Essen, Germany

    Karl-Heinz Jöckel

Authors
  1. Benjamin Kendzia
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  2. Beate Pesch
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  3. Dorothea Koppisch
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  4. Rainer Van Gelder
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  5. Katrin Pitzke
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  6. Wolfgang Zschiesche
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  7. Thomas Behrens
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  8. Tobias Weiss
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  11. Karl-Heinz Jöckel
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  13. Thomas Brüning
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Beate Pesch.

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Kendzia, B., Pesch, B., Koppisch, D. et al. Modelling of occupational exposure to inhalable nickel compounds. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 27, 427–433 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2016.80

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