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Nickel Exposure
Forbe!
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Anyways. I am a metal smithing student currently working primarily in Nickel Silver (60% Cu, 20% Ni, 20% Zn).
I am aware of the dermatological effects of Nickel silver on the skin (skin irritation/inflamation), however, I am wondering about the effects INTERNALLY of these metals.
While working with Nickel Silver, I do quite a bit of sanding and sawing, soldering as well (the metal is never molten, so I would imaging no Nickel gases are being released, but I know jack about chemistry).
Anyways:
Lately I've been having severely irritated eyes (bloodshot), one day they even appeared grayish after a long period in the shop (I can't wear contacts anymore because my eyes are so irritated). I've been having frequent headaches and bloody noses. I've been wearing a dust mask as of late due to these symptoms, and now glasses, especially when I am sanding in finer grit paper.
I've always been careful , washing my hands with pumice, making sure I don't touch my eyes or mouth while in the shop.
I also did quit smoking about 3 weeks ago, so I am not sure if theses symptoms are just a coincidence.
Anyone with metallurgy/chemistry/life experience have any idea what is going on?
I'm hoping it is just an allergic reaction.
Addendum:
I am aware of the toxicity of Zinc in the body, as I've had 'zinc fever' before from inhaling zinc fumes. Those were just short reactions to exposure. This has been going on for like a week and a half.
I am aware of the dermatological effects of Nickel silver on the skin (skin irritation/inflamation), however, I am wondering about the effects INTERNALLY of these metals.
While working with Nickel Silver, I do quite a bit of sanding and sawing, soldering as well (the metal is never molten, so I would imaging no Nickel gases are being released, but I know jack about chemistry).
Anyways:
Lately I've been having severely irritated eyes (bloodshot), one day they even appeared grayish after a long period in the shop (I can't wear contacts anymore because my eyes are so irritated). I've been having frequent headaches and bloody noses. I've been wearing a dust mask as of late due to these symptoms, and now glasses, especially when I am sanding in finer grit paper.
I've always been careful , washing my hands with pumice, making sure I don't touch my eyes or mouth while in the shop.
I also did quit smoking about 3 weeks ago, so I am not sure if theses symptoms are just a coincidence.
Anyone with metallurgy/chemistry/life experience have any idea what is going on?
I'm hoping it is just an allergic reaction.
Addendum:
I am aware of the toxicity of Zinc in the body, as I've had 'zinc fever' before from inhaling zinc fumes. Those were just short reactions to exposure. This has been going on for like a week and a half.
Forbe! on
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Shouldnt you have gotten an occupational health & safety chitchat before you started working in a metalshop?
I wear goggles/respirators when working in anything above a 150 grit sanding paper. It isn't as if I am doing large scale sanding. We're talking about small areas less than a square cm, and that is on the big side of things. So exposure to particulates is usually limited. I've been doing metalworking of the same type for nearly two years, but usually in copper, steel, brass, bronze and silver, with the same level of precautions and have never experienced a problem like this.
Thank you for your safety concerns.
A quick googling shows that nickel is in the top 10 allergy causing substances. Ooops. Cant help you with much else I'm afraid.
http://ptcl.chem.ox.ac.uk/MSDS/NI/nickel.html
http://www.sciencelab.com/xMSDS-Silver-9927253
Your employers really should have these things available.
Metals don't necessarily have to be gaseous for them to be harmful. Most metals are calculated as particulate emissions in the environmental sector, which is what you would be inhaling. Nickel is categorized as a hazardous air pollutant and their are emission standards for it because it is harmful.
OSHA has safety thresholds, as I'm sure you know. Whether or not you believe OSHA is up to you.
Thats about it.
I've done a literature review on this topic, but it was concerned with lab technicians who use nickel alloys..
Basically, in a lab you have to be worried most about skin reactions (allergic contact dermatitis). You can get sensitised to nickel by touching it, thats why females tend to have more reactions, with jewellery. From what you descibe you dont have skin problems though.
What you are describing is simply a result of small particles irritating the soft tissue of the eye, and the lung problem is normal. The headache is probably a symptom of low oxygen, if you're using a lot of heat/gas, it's burning away the O2 in the air. The lungs, well, if the lungs find foreign bodies, they cough it up....
In the long term, if you keep inhaling small particles, you're at risk of developing pneumoconiosis, or 'coal workers cough', which is basically smaller particles lodged in your lungs causing chronic irritation.
Wear a mask, and glasses/visor all the time., make sure you pinch the mask around your nose. If you are getting fog on the glasses it means the facial seal isnt air-tight. Spend a bit of time learning how to wear a mask, it's worth it.