Welding fume of stainless steels is potentially health hazardous. The aim of this study was to investigate the manganese (Mn) and chromium (Cr) speciation of welding fume particles and their extent of metal release relevant for an inhalation scenario, as a function of particle size, welding method (manual metal arc welding, metal arc welding using an active shielding gas), different electrodes (solid wires and flux-cored wires) and shielding gases, and base alloy (austenitic AISI 304L and duplex stainless steel LDX2101). Metal release investigations were performed in phosphate buffered saline (PBS), pH 7.3, 37°, 24h. The particles were characterized by means of microscopic, spectroscopic, and electroanalytical methods. Cr was predominantly released from particles of the welding fume when exposed in PBS [3-96% of the total amount of Cr, of which up to 70% as Cr(VI)], followed by Mn, nickel, and iron. Duplex stainless steel welded with a flux-cored wire generated a welding fume that released most Cr(VI). Nano-sized particles released a significantly higher amount of nickel compared with micron-sized particle fractions. The welding fume did not contain any solitary known chromate compounds, but multi-elemental highly oxidized oxide(s) (iron, Cr, and Mn, possibly bismuth and silicon).
A set of frictional experiments have been conducted on a pin-on-disk apparatus to investigate the effect of the sliding velocity on airborne wear particles generated from dry sliding wheel-rail contacts. The size and the amount of generated particles were acquired by using particle counter instruments during the whole test period. After the completion of tests, the morphology and chemical compositions of pin worn surfaces and collected particles were analyzed by using scanning electron microscopy combined with an energy-dispersive X-ray analysis system. The results show that the total particle number concentration increases dramatically with an increased sliding velocity from 0.1 to 3.4 m/s. Moreover, the fine and ultrafine particles (\1 lm) dominates the particle generation mode in the case of a high sliding velocity (1.2 and 3.4 m/s). The contact temperature variation is observed to be closely related to the size mode of the particle generation. In addition, the sliding velocity is found to influence the active wear. Correspondingly, an oxidative wear is identified as the predominant wear mechanisms for cases with high sliding velocities (1.2 and 3.4 m/s). This produces a substantial number of iron oxide-containing particles (\1 lm) and reduces the wear rate to a relative low level (the wear rate for a 3.4 m/s sliding velocity is 4.5 % of that for a 0.4 m/s sliding velocity).
Wear processes from mechanical braking, rail/wheel contact, the railway electrification system and re-suspended materials due to the turbulence of passing trains in tunnels and stations have been suggested to be the main contributors to particulate matter levels inside trains. In this study, onboard monitoring was performed on a commuter train stopping at underground and aboveground stations. The concentration and size distribution of particulates were monitored for both indoor and outdoor levels. The results show that the levels of PM10 and PM2.5 inside the train were about one-fifth of the outdoor levels. Significant increases in indoor particulate number concentrations were observed in tunnel environments and there was a slight increase when the doors were open. Differences in the size distributions of micro-and nano-sized particulates could be identified for different tunnels.
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