Particle Emission from Welding of Painted Steel

The particulate emission caused by welding of steel plates covered with 29 diversified shop primers has been investigated. The investigation includes the determination of particle mass, particle size distribution, and of the contents of heavy metals such as lead and cadmium. The results show that all investigated primers except those with high concentration of zinc pigment produce mass emissions which are very low in comparison to manual arc welding with covered electrode and CO₂-welding on uncoated steel. The emitted particles of the primers are smaller than 1 μm particle diameter and therefore respirable. Lead and cadmium was found in particles emitted during the welding process of all investigated primers. The highest amount was found in particles of primers with high contents of zinc and ferric oxide.