“…Several investigations of inhaled arc welding fumes in experimental animals have also shown ®brogenic effects after exposure, mostly of less than 2 years [Hicks et al, 1983;Hicks et al, 1984;Muhle et al, 1988Muhle et al, , 1990Yurui and Yu, 1988;Morrow et al, 1991;Last et al, 1993;Obersdo Èrster, 1995;Antonini et al, 1996]. The``overload phenomenon'' may explain the ®ndings of the close topographical relationship between welding fume associated lung dust burden embedded in interstitial ®brogenic reactions.…”