Summary
Twenty-six workers in a hard metal manufacturing plant were monitored by cobalt urinary and ambient air measurements during the first month after summer holidays. Cobalt determinations were performed utilizing AAS, with a preliminary chelation and extraction procedure for urinary samples. Almost all personal ambient air samples turned out to be under the cobalt dust TLV of 0.1 mg/m3. When restarting work after the holidays, urinary values did not differ from the control group. At the end of the first working week, urinary cobalt had increased four fold, then decreased to the original values on the following Monday before restarting work. Thereafter, the weekend was no longer sufficient to reduce the levels to normal urinary cobalt values. The values rose to the same level observed before the holidays, and dit not substantially decrease even after the weekend. End-shift urinary cobalt values showed a good relationship with present as well as with mean past exposure on the first and the fifth weekday, but the third day did not. The correlation was better with present exposure on Monday and with mean past exposure on Friday. The observed differences may be explained by the minor influence of recent exposure on present exposure on Monday. The highest values were found on Wednesday. We suggest the utilization of end-shift urinary cobalt determination as a measure of the present exposure on Monday, and of mean recent or preceding exposure on Friday.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (1984) TLVs threshold limit values for chemical substances and physical agents in the work environment with intended changes for 1984–85—ACGIH, Cincinnati
Armeli G, Mattiussi R, Deleidi G, Terranova R (1984) Biological and clinical monitoring of workers of a plant producing alcohols with cobalt hydrocarbonyl based catalyst. In: Orford RR, Cowell JW, Jamieson GG, Love EJ (eds) Occupational health in the chemical industry. Medichem, Calgary, pp 449–464
Baruffini A, Cirla AM, Zedda S (1983) Asma bronchiale da polvere di metalli duri nella molatura di utensili per la lavorazione del legno. In: Infortuni e malattie professionali nel settore del legno e del mobile. Amministrazione Provinciale di Siena, Siena, pp 491–498
Bech AO (1974) Hard metal disease and tool room grinding. J Soc Occup Med 24:11–16
Davison AG, Haslan PL, Corrin B, Coutts II, Dewar A, Riding WD, Studdy PR, Newman-Taylor AG (1983) Interstitial lung disease and asthma in hard-metal workers: bronchoalveolar lavage, ultrastructural, and analytical findings and results of bronchial provocation tests. Thorax 38:119–128
Demets M, Cheysens B, Nagels J, Verbeken E, Lauwerys J, van den Eeckhout A, Lahaye D, Gyselen A (1984) Cobalt lung in diamond polishers. Am Rev Respir Dis 130:130–135
Hartung M, Schaller K-H, Brand E (1982) On the question of the pathogenetic importance of cobalt for hard metal fibrosis of the lung. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 50:53–57
Hartung M, Valentin H (1983) Lungenfibrosen durch Hartmetallstaube. Zentralbl Bakteriol Hyg I Abt Orig B 177:237–250
Hartung M, Valentin H (1984) Die inhalative Cobalt-Belastung — eine mögliche Ursache der Hartmetallfibrose der Lunge. VIth International Pneumoconiosis Conference. Bergbauberufsgenossenschaft, Bochum, pp 1168–1174
Hubbard M, Creech FM, Cholak J (1966) Determination of cobalt in air and biological material. Arch Environ Health 13:190–194
Kennedy A, Dorman JD, King R (1981) Fatal myocardial disease associated with industrial exposure to cobalt. Lancet 1:412–414
Lob M, Hugonnaud C (1977) Pathologie pulmonaire. Risque de pneumoconiose par metal dur et de bérylliose chez les techniciens-dentistes lots de l'usinage de prothèses méthalliques. Arch Mal Prof 38:543–549
Meyer PD, Stoeckel C, Grist T, Le Bouffant L, Roegel E (1981) A propos de trois nouveaux cas de fibrose pulmonaire chez des affûteurs d'outils renforcés au carbure de tungstène. Poumon Coeur 37:165–175
Mutti A, Cavatorta A, Pedroni C, Borghi A, Giaroli C, Franchini I (1979) The role of chromium accumulation in the relationship between airborne and urinary chromium in welders. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 43:123–133
Pellet F, Perdrix A, Vincent M, Mallion J-M (1984) Dosage biologique du cobalt urinaire. Arch Mal Prof 45:81–85
Reinl W, Schnellbächer F, Rahm G (1979) Lungenfibrosen und entzündliche Lungenerkrankungen nach Einwirkung von Kobaltkontaktmasse. Zentralbl Arbeitsmed 29:318–325
Rüttner JR (1984) The pathology of the “hard metal lung”. VIth International Pneumoconiosis Conference. Bergbauberufsgenossenschaft, Bochum, pp 1149–1158
Scansetti G, Lamon S, Botta GC, Talarico S, Piolatto G (1983) Valutazione dell'esposizione a cobalto nella produzione di metalli duri con misure ambientali e biologiche. Med Lav 74:323–332
Scherrer M, Maillard M (1982) Hartmetall-Pneumopathien. Schweiz Med Wochenschr 112:198–207
Schumacher-Wittkopf E, Angerer J (1981) Praxisgerechte Methode zur Kobaltbestimmung in Harn. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 49:77–81
Sjögren I, Hillerdal G, Andersson A, Zetterstrom O (1980) Hard metal lung disease: importance of cobalt in coolants. Thorax 35:653–659
Versieck J (1983) Cobalt (Co). In: Zunkley H (ed) Spurenelemente. Thieme, Stuttgart, pp 108–111
Welinder H, Littorin M, Gullberg B, Skerfving S (1983) Elimination of chromium in urine after stainless steel welding. Scand J Work Environ Health 9:397–403
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Scansetti, G., Lamon, S., Talarico, S. et al. Urinary cobalt as a measure of exposure in the hard metal industry. Int. Arch Occup Environ Heath 57, 19–26 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00383542
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00383542