Characterizing Airborne Particulates in Steel Foundries: Using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) Analysis.

Abstract

The melting foundry work is challenging, as it is performed in an environment that features high temperatures and the dispersion of nanoparticles (NP) and ultrafine particles (UFP) with multiple chemical compositions, which can significantly impact human health. Hence, it is necessary to study the particle size distribution and chemical composition to assess professional exposure and understand their potential health effects.

This study aims at characterizing the airborne particles at the metallurgical workplace environment. Accordingly, short-term samples were collected from areas and examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) to define particle morphology and their chemical composition.

This analysis was conducted to explore the extent of their spread according to height and distance from the source of the furnace. Thus, we collected various-height samples.

Consequently, the spatial mapping revealed high concentrations of particles near the furnaces and plumes of particles rising in the stairwells and moving toward other work areas. The SEM/EDS results confirmed the high number of nanoparticles measured, indicating that the aerosols were rich in metals, including iron, aluminum, selenium, and zinc.

The survey’s findings can be used to deduce appropriate new strategies to mitigate workers' exposure to airborne metals.