Hygienic Aspects of Working Conditions in the Modern Production of Aluminum

Abstract

Introduction. The production of primary aluminum is one of the leading and belonging to the category of an increased health hazard for workers in the economy, which requires close attention to working conditions while modernizing production technology. Material and methods. The research methodology included a comprehensive study of working conditions and assessment of priority occupational risk factors, an in-depth study of the morphology, dispersed and component composition of dust and gas components air-suspended at different technologies of electrolysis of aluminum. Results. The leading production factors of occupational risk, degrees are fluorine-containing compounds, dust and gas-aerosol mixtures in the form of separate and assembled into agglomerates micro- and nanostructured particles of complex chemical composition (fluorine, carbon, aluminum, sodium, oxygen, silicon, iron, sulfur, chromium, nickel, etc.), unfavorable microclimate, electromagnetic field, noise, vibration, physical loads, which are related to the 3rd (harmful) class of 1 to 3 degree. Discussion. Modernization of aluminum production with the introduction of technology of pre-baked anodes allows significantly improve working conditions, reduce the admission of harmful chemical substances into the air of the working area, with the exception of hydrofluoride, the concentration of which exceeds extremely permissible levels in 1.5-3.1 times. Noteworthy is the fact of the detection of aerosols of disintegration and condensation, including particles of nanoscale range, impurities of heavy metals in the air. The consequences of the effect of such complex combination mixtures, their combined effects with other factors on the body, can have pronounced negative effects, which is important with adequate exposure analysis and personalized assessment of the health risks of workers engaged in the production of aluminum. Conclusion. Working conditions at workplaces with the technology of self-baking anodes are characterized by moderate or severe professional risk, with the technology of pre-baked anodes - mild or moderate risk, which makes the urgent problem of further improvement of aluminum production technologies, detailed analysis of personal exposures of harmful substances for a correct assessment of the health risk of workers, is relevant.

Identification and characterization of 1-hydroxypyrene contents in urine as a marker of exposure to pah in workers of electrolysis workshops at aluminum production

“…The highest average shift concentrations of tarry matter and benz(a)pyrene that exceeded MPC by up to 1.8 and 26 times accordingly were detected at workplaces of anode handlers and electrolysis operators. At the same time, average concentrations of coal-tar pitch sublimes were within their permissible ranges (0.2 mg/m 3 ) in workshops where prebake anodes were used; benz(a)pyrene concentrations varied from 0.5 to 1.4 MPC in those workshops [21,22]. According to some foreign authors, contents of benz(a)-pyrene varied from 0.19 to 2.8 µg/m 3 in workplace air inside electrolysis workshops at European aluminum-producing enterprises.…”

“…We established that median concentrations of the metabolite in urine were authentically lower among anode frame operators as well as the whole group of workers with basic occupations in workshops with the updated technology (prebake anodes) than among the same occupational groups in workshops where the conventional technology (self-baking anodes) was employed (by 34.2 and 3.1 times accordingly). This might be associated with a substantial decrease in volumes in which PAH components occur and enter workplace air due to prebake anodes used in up-to-date electrolyzers as confirmed by monitoring data on contents of tarry matter and benz(a)pyrene in workplace air [21,22].…”

“…We estimated contents of coal-tar pitch sublimes and benz(a)pyrene in workplace air inside electrolysis workshops at the analyzed aluminum production enterprise. The assessment was performed by analyzing the results obtained by our own examinations and measurements accomplished by a sanitary-industrial laboratory of the enterprise [21] as well as data available in Russian and foreign research works [22,23].…”