Metal chips, also known as shavings, filings, turnings, and dust, are a byproduct of any machining operation and are well-known to any worker in the trade. Cutting fluids and tramp oils on the chips are a common source of environmental damage, however the material itself can be preserved for recycling. When this occurs, the chips are put through a centrifuge equipped to remove lubricants in order to preserve the purity of the metal.
Chips pose a threat to the wellbeing of anyone in their immediate vicinity or who handles them. If inhaled, like with persistent airborne particles, chips can cause chronic harm due to their sharp edges. Even though it's against the rules, many machine shops' employees nonetheless pick up swarf with their bare hands. Chips should be handled by hand only if absolutely essential, and even then only with heavy gloves that go well above the wrist. Automatic chip handling systems are used in some establishments for the purpose of removing and processing chips for recycling. Although these devices have a high price tag up front, they can reduce the risk of injury when working with chips.
Shavings from machines can come in a wide variety of forms. It's common practise for chips to take the shape of the metal being machined. Since hard, brittle metals lack strength, they break into small, incoherent shards when chipped. Peeling ribbons can occur with softer or stronger materials. Manufacturers employ studies of chip generation to assess the efficiency of machining processes and as a troubleshooting tool.
Chips generated during the machining process are stored until they can be sent to a scrap metal recycler. Fluids must be drained from the chips and the metals separated (aluminium from steel, for example), but alloy grades are not typically considered by recyclers.
Table of Contents
What Are the Examples of Metal That Can Bring Danger to Your Health?
Steel
Steel is made up of a number of different elements, but iron and carbon are the most prominent. Different kinds of steel are typically divided into two broad groups: non-alloy steels (which include basic and quality steels) and alloy steels (Tool Steel, Stainless Steel and Engineering steels)
The byproducts of steel's production pose the greatest threat. Like any other type of dust, steel dust can irritate and even damage the mucosal linings of your nose, throat, and mouth if you breathe it in. A number of adverse reactions can occur, including redness, swelling, pain, trouble swallowing, and itchiness.
Steel also contains a lot of tungsten, chromium, molybdenum, and vanadium.
Tungsten is rare and only appears in its most common form, that of a tool, and in extremely small quantities. Increased focus has been placed on tungsten dust and particles in recent years due to their potential to irritate the respiratory system and cause long-term conditions like occupational asthma and interstitial fibrosis. Symptoms include respiratory distress, including coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and weight loss. Long-term exposure has been linked to health problems like lung and mucous membrane damage and even cancer.
Research has shown that exposure to environmental chromium toxins raises the risk of developing lung cancer.
Exposed individuals may experience irritation of the eyes and skin, as well as coughing and wheezing. A number of other symptoms include aches and pains in the muscles and joints, fatigue, and headaches. Long-term exposure has been linked to health problems like gout, anaemia, and liver and kidney damage.
Exposure to vanadium dust is considered dangerous because it can cause irritation, shortness of breath, inflammation, and other problems in the respiratory system (lungs).
Stainless steel can contain nickel, a metal that can be allergenic to those with sensitive skin.
The following three types of airborne dust are particularly concerning, though inhalation of any dust can be harmful.
Titanium
Titanium, in particular, is not toxic to living organisms (even in larger doses). Daily human consumption of titanium averages about 0.8 milligrammes. It's used extensively in the aerospace sector, especially in the manufacturing of precise instruments.
When you get titanium down to a powder or shavings, it's a whole different animal. Titanium powder and shavings have a high ignition potential. It is dangerous to heat titanium in air because it oxidises and becomes explosive. Titanium burns at such a high temperature that traditional fire extinguishers like water and carbon dioxide are useless.
In order to avoid the risk of a fire starting during titanium removal, a wet collection system must be used. Even though titanium dust is not as dangerous as some of the dust we breathe in, explosions involving titanium dust cause significant property damage and, more importantly, loss of life.
Magnesium
Similar to Titanium in safe concentrations, Magnesium is highly combustible when reduced to the form of metal shavings or powders. Have you ever used a sparkler or flare that wouldn't die until you buried it in the sand? That's magnesium, and it can be extremely difficult to put out a fire once it gets going.
Hydrogen gas, produced when magnesium reacts with water, is highly combustible and explosive on its own. Addition of water to a magnesium fire will only exacerbate the problem.
Since magnesium can only be extracted using a wet collector, this also means that we need to be careful as we explore various extraction methods for this element. Most extractors have safety features to prevent hydrogen buildup, which can cause expensive repairs. Collectors necessitate additional safety measures like interlocks between the fan motor and the water control and grounding.
Do not mix magnesium dust with dust from other metals; instead, use different methods to extract each.
Aluminium
Extraction of combustible, non-toxic dust, such as aluminium, is necessary to manage risks beyond those posed by direct human contact. Aluminized aluminium is one of the most widely used metals in industry. The only time aluminium is considered a fire hazard is when it is in the form of fine powder and dust, with about 20% of the dust being below 44 microns.
This aluminium is extremely dangerous and potentially explosive. When reacting with water, aluminium, like magnesium, produces hydrogen gas, a highly flammable and explosive gas.
The finer the aluminium, the greater the risk of fire and explosion. Dry dust extraction with explosive relief is required if the concentration of aluminium dust is above a certain threshold, but wet collectors and wet extraction systems, such as a wet downdraft bench, are preferable for aluminium extraction because they prevent the release of hydrogen gas (just in case).
External ignition sources, such as a spark from grinding or cutting, a discharge from static electricity, or bare flames, are the most common causes of fires involving aluminium dust.
Anxiety about aluminium's potential dangers can be alleviated with a dust sample and some familiarity with the process. In recent years, numerous reports have claimed that particle sizes greater than 75 microns make it extremely difficult to ignite more than 90% of aluminum-based applications that use possible ignition sources as part of the process.
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Gold
The jewellery industry alone uses up to 50 percent of the world's gold supply. Although pure gold is not toxic or irritating when ingested, soluble gold is frequently used in industry for applications like electroplating (food and drink). Gold is an allergen, and the chemicals gold chloride and potassium gold cyanide are two examples of highly toxic substances.
Silver
Silver, which is commonly used in the jewellery industry, can cause respiratory irritation and allergy symptoms if exposed to the skin or the mucous membranes. Argyrosis may develop from prolonged contact with silver dust. Argyria can cause the skin and the whites of the eyes to change colour to a greyish purple.
Ingesting large amounts of this form of silver is dangerous.
Copper
Copper-Induced Metal Fume Fever can cause a wide variety of symptoms, including but not limited to fever, chills, nausea, headaches, pneumonia, chest pain, muscle aches, exhaustion, joint pain, and shortness of breath. In severe cases, the patient may experience a burning sensation throughout the body, shock, incontinence, collapse, convulsions, vomiting blood, jaundice, and bloody diarrhoea.
Iron Oxides
Consistent contact with iron oxides is a leading cause of siderosis. Pneumoconiosis (also spelt pneumoconiosis) is an illness of the lungs brought on by being exposed to airborne toxins. Inhaling Iron dust over a period of years is the main cause of this. In tissue biopsies, iron deposition can be readily observed.
There is currently no cure or treatment for siderosis.
Smoking Chips
Metals corrode in the presence of oxygen and water. When applied to metals, oxidation (also known as corrosion) produces heat. When computer chips are piled up or stored in a bin for recycling, the heat generated by oxidation can actually cause them to fuse together. Heat produced by the oxidation can hasten this process, leading to smokey chips. Magnesium and other metals pose a significant fire risk due to their propensity to generate heat.
All metals eventually oxidise, though some do so much more quickly than others. The rust that forms on oxidised iron and steel can serve as a protective coating, but it looks terrible on a pile of chips. Cast metal chips have a higher surface area, so they oxidise quicker than chips made from other metals. Finally, if chips of different metals are mixed, galvanic corrosion could make matters worse.
Preventing Smoke
Proper metalworking fluids can reduce the risk of chips smoking during production. Chips are protected by the residue left behind by cutting oils that are soluble in water (such as semi-synthetic oils). Many cutting fluids contain rust inhibitors, which prevent chip oxidation by forming a thin coating on the chips.
Water is a significant factor in corrosion, so it is important to drain excess cutting oil from chips and dry them.
It's most dangerous to leave a lot of chips in one place for a long time. If the pile is too big, the oxidation process could be sped up and become out of control due to the increased heat. The risk increases as the oxidation rate of a stack of chips rises. Avoid storing chips in direct sunlight because hot metal oxidises more quickly than cool metal. Finally, take care not to store chips next to anything combustible, like paper, wood, or chemicals.
Acculube is your go-to source for expert guidance on preventing smoke chips and other machining-related problems. In addition to assisting you in reducing the likelihood of smoking chips and other hazards, our professionals may also assist you in optimising your coolant choices, improving tool performance, and better managing your facility's environmental impact.
Can Breathing Metal Dust Hurt You?
Metal dust is harmful to the lungs if inhaled for any length of time. But doing so for a long time can increase the risks significantly. Constant exposure can weaken the lungs' natural defence system, which is designed to prevent foreign particles from settling within. Therefore, dust particles are able to rest in the lung tissues, usually in the air sacs or airways, where they might do damage.
Persistent exposure to metal dust can cause a variety of respiratory problems.
Aspirating iron particles in the form of dust or fumes leads to siderosis, a lung condition also known as welder's lung or silver polisher's lung.
Long-term exposure to silica, a mineral found in ores and rocks like quartz, can cause the occupational lung disease known as silicosis. If precautions aren't taken, people working in industries where silica is present, such miners, construction workers, and others, are more likely to get this disease.
The disease known as "black lung" — This occupational lung illness, also known as coal worker's pneumoconiosis, is typically seen in miners and other employees who are constantly exposed to coal dust.
Pneumoconiosis is a catch-all name for interstitial lung disorders caused by inhaling mineral dust, which includes all of the aforementioned conditions. These illnesses cannot be cured, but there are a variety of effective treatments accessible to people who suffer from them. Medication, oxygen therapy, and behavioural modifications like giving up smoking are examples of standard medical care.
The Lung Health Institute's cellular therapy programme is a cutting-edge and all-natural approach to treating pneumoconiosis. The use of a patient's own cells has the potential to alleviate lung inflammation, halt the worsening of the disease, and boost the quality of life for the affected individual.
Remember that inhalables enter the body through the mouth, throat, and nose and are readily visible. Smaller particles of respirable dust are able to penetrate deeper into the lungs. Both can be damaging, but respirable dust poses a greater risk. Small particles of inhalable dust that settle in the nose and mouth are inhaled and then inhaled deeply into the lungs. The two kinds of dust ultimately end up being absorbed by the body' cells and soft tissues. Your health will suffer as a result of this.
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What Should Be a Reminder for Those Who Have High Levels of Exposure?
Those who aren't heavy users may think they're immune to the effects of "high levels" of exposure because, as they put it, "but I don't use a lot." In many cases, they'd be true, but what they mean by "high levels of exposure" may also be described as "long term" or "repeated" exposure.
A single exposure to a low concentration of a contaminant might not cause any harm. And now imagine being subjected to that for hours, days, months, and years on end. Now the contaminant has had time to accumulate in your body, which is when large levels are typically detected. Because of the prolonged nature of the exposure, symptoms may not appear for many years after initial exposure, at which point it is usually too late to prevent permanent harm.
Interstitial pulmonary fibrosis can be caused by long-term exposure to many different kinds of dust in the lungs, independent of their toxicity. Damage to the tissue and gaps surrounding the lungs' air sacs is the hallmark of this category of disorders.
Diseases of the interstitial lung tissue cannot be cured at this time. In other words, the harm has been done forever.
Instead of worrying about how you and your coworkers will fare in ten years, you should focus on doing what is necessary right now to ensure safe extraction.
Overexposure to metals can cause harmful side effects in the body.
Exposure to metals in the environment, whether through food, water, or industrial chemicals, can lead to heavy metal poisoning.
Zinc, copper, chromium, iron, and manganese, among others, are required in trace amounts by the human body but are hazardous in large doses.
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The most common heavy metals in the United States are lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium.
When exposed in the same ways, both sexes are just as likely to develop heavy metal toxicity.
The National Organization for Rare Disorders reports that the number of children in the United States with dangerously high blood lead levels has decreased by 85 percent over the previous 20 years.
The occurrence of mercury poisoning in youngsters is quite unusual.
What Leads to Poisoning from Heavy Metals?
Some of the things that can lead to heavy metal poisoning are:
- chemical exposure at work
- Pollution is brought on by either water or air.
- Foods\Medicines
- Inadequately coated pots and pans, mishandled dishes, and misplaced bowls
- using lead-based paints for consumption
What Signs Indicate Heavy Metal Poisoning?
The signs and symptoms of heavy metal poisoning can differ greatly between different metals.
Acute heavy metal poisoning (from, say, ingesting a toy that contained lead) can cause a variety of symptoms.
- Confusion\Numbness
- Nausea\Vomiting
- Falling into a coma
Prolonged or chronic exposure to heavy metals can cause the following symptoms:
- Headache\Weakness
- Tiredness
- Sore muscles
- Physical Discomfort Associated with Joints
- Constipation
What Medical Procedures Can Treat Metal Poisoning?
A doctor may recommend a urine or blood test if you're worried about heavy metal toxicity.
If testing confirms a diagnosis of heavy metal poisoning, the first step in treatment is to remove all potential sources of exposure.
Possible substitute therapies include:
- Chelating agents like Chemet (succimer) help the body rid itself of metals, which are then excreted in the urine.
- Metals that have been ingested can be recovered by using a suction device placed in the digestive system.
- The diuretic mannitol (Aridol, Osmitrol), corticosteroid drugs, and intracranial monitoring are all viable options for treating brain edoema.
- Hemodialysis and/or other specialised treatments may be required in cases of renal failure.
How Can Heavy Metal Poisoning Be Prevented?
Some preventative measures against heavy metal poisoning include:
- Always wear protective gear when working with heavy metals.
- The presence of dust and dirt can be minimised to lessen the accumulation of metals in the home.
- There may be mercury in the fish in your area, so be careful.
- It is important to be aware of potential lead exposure areas.
- Before bringing a product into your home, you should always check the label to see if there is a warning about heavy metals.
Fire Hazards
Oil is often used to soak the metal shavings that result from opening oil canisters or cans. When left lying around or thrown away carelessly, these might start fires. They can start massive fires if they come into contact with sparks and/or electrical outlets. Shavings of any metal, but especially titanium, pose a serious risk of starting a fire. They catch fire readily in air, leading to an explosion whose magnitude is proportional to the number and size of the titanium shavings involved. Burning the metal shavings produced by can openers also releases harmful fumes linked to a variety of health issues.
Health Hazards
When a can opener is not properly cleaned before use, metal shavings can be released into the food being prepared, posing a serious health risk. Metal shavings can introduce chemical, physical, and biological hazards into food. Disease-causing microbes such fungus, viruses, yeasts, mould, and bacteria are common biological pollutants. One example of a physical pollutant is metal, which can be consumed by anyone and causes a wide range of health problems. Toxic chemicals, insecticides, and cleaning agents that have come into touch with can openers can leach into the metal shavings and then into the food.
Physical Hazards
Physical harm could be caused by metal shavings. Foreign pollutants, such metal shavings, pose physical threats to humans when they find their way into food. Small metal shavings flying in the air can also cause these problems. Not only that, but flying metal shavings are extremely sharp and may easily rip through skin and fabric. These are a threat to the health of humans, dogs, and other residents if they become embedded in the skin, hair, or scalp, or if they find their way onto furniture. Shavings are not only a nuisance, but they can also infect the skin if they cut or scratch it. Check out Australian General Engineering
Conclusion
The byproduct of any machining process is metal chips, also known as shavings, filings, turnings, and dust. Due to their sharp edges, they can be dangerous to anyone in their vicinity or who handles them, potentially resulting in long-term injuries. While automatic chip handling systems are typically used to remove and process chips for recycling, they can also reduce the risk of injury to workers. Steel is a composite material, with the main components being iron and carbon. The most dangerous substances are the waste products of steel production, which can irritate and even damage the mucosal linings of the nasal passages, throat, and mouth.
Tungsten, chromium, molybdenum, and vanadium are all elements found in steel that have been linked to health problems like asthma attacks, lung and mucous membrane damage, and even cancer. However, it is dangerous to heat titanium in air because it oxidises and becomes explosive, despite the fact that it is not toxic to living organisms. Humans should limit their daily titanium consumption to eliminate exposure to these waste products. Metal shavings or powdered magnesium are extremely flammable and difficult to extinguish once a fire has started. There must be safeguards in place, such as interlocks between the fan motor and the water control and grounding, because it can only be extracted using a wet collector.
Even though aluminized aluminium is one of the most widely used metals in industry, its fine powder and dust forms pose a fire hazard due to the fact that about 20% of the dust is below 44 microns in size. Even though wet collectors and wet extraction systems are preferable for aluminium extraction, dry dust extraction with explosive relief is necessary if the concentration of aluminium dust is above a certain threshold. Most fires involving aluminium dust are started by an external ignition source like a spark from grinding or cutting, a discharge from static electricity, or open flames. Up to half of the world's gold supply is consumed by the jewellery industry, and soluble gold is widely used in industrial processes like electroplating. Gold chloride and potassium gold cyanide are two highly toxic chemicals that contain the allergenic metal gold.
Metal Smog Caused by Copper Chills, headaches, pneumonia, chest pain, muscle aches, exhaustion, joint pain, and shortness of breath are just some of the many symptoms that can accompany a fever. Exposure to silver, which is frequently used in the jewellery industry, can irritate the respiratory system and trigger allergy symptoms. Smoking chips pose a significant fire hazard due to their propensity to generate heat, and iron oxides are a leading cause of siderosis. All metals oxidise over time, but some do it faster than others. Cutting oils that are water-soluble and rust inhibitors found in metalworking fluids work together to prevent chips from oxidising and smoking during production.
Chips should be drained of excess cutting oil and dried because moisture is a major contributor to corrosion. Inhaling metal dust is bad for your lungs, period, but doing so for an extended period of time is especially dangerous. Black lung, silicosis, and siderosis are just a few of the respiratory conditions that can develop from prolonged contact with metal dust. Acculube offers in-depth advice on how to reduce the occurrence of smoke chips and other machining-related issues, as well as how to maximise the effectiveness of your tools and minimise your impact on the environment. Inhaling mineral dust can cause interstitial lung disorders, which are collectively referred to as pneumoconiosis.
Effective treatments for those who have them include things like medication, oxygen therapy, and alterations to one's behaviour. An innovative and holistic method of treating pneumoconiosis, the cellular therapy programme at the Lung Health Institute uses a patient's own cells to reduce inflammation in the lungs, halt the progression of the disease, and improve the quality of life for those who suffer from it. However, chronic inhalation of numerous types of dust can permanently damage the tissue and gaps surrounding the air sacs in the lungs. Exposure to metals in the environment, food, water, or industrial chemicals can lead to heavy metal poisoning, a potentially fatal condition. Lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium are the most common heavy metals, and toxicity from them affects people of both sexes equally.
Heavy metal poisoning can have a wide range of symptoms, from confusion and numbness to nausea, vomiting, and even coma, depending on the specific metal involved. To treat it, doctors first identify and eliminate all sources of exposure before trying alternatives like Chemet (succimer) or mannitol (Aridol, Osmitrol).
When bringing a product into your home, it's crucial that you know where you might be exposed to lead. Shredded metal poses fire, health, and environmental risks. Soaking metal shavings in oil, which can catch fire if it comes into contact with sparks or an electrical outlet, presents a serious risk to workers and the public. Foreign pollutants can become embedded in the skin, hair, or scalp, and can also cause damage to furniture and pose a health risk. Pollutants from other countries can cause infections through cuts and scrapes on the skin.
Content Summary
- Metal chips, also known as shavings, filings, turnings, and dust, are a byproduct of any machining operation and are well-known to any worker in the trade.
- Cutting fluids and tramp oils on the chips are a common source of environmental damage, however the material itself can be preserved for recycling.
- Automatic chip handling systems are used in some establishments for the purpose of removing and processing chips for recycling.
- Like any other type of dust, steel dust can irritate and even damage the mucosal linings of your nose, throat, and mouth if you breathe it in.
- Steel also contains a lot of tungsten, chromium, molybdenum, and vanadium.
- The following three types of airborne dust are particularly concerning, though inhalation of any dust can be harmful.
- Hydrogen gas, produced when magnesium reacts with water, is highly combustible and explosive on its own.
- Addition of water to a magnesium fire will only exacerbate the problem.
- Do not mix magnesium dust with dust from other metals; instead, use different methods to extract each.
- When reacting with water, aluminium, like magnesium, produces hydrogen gas, a highly flammable and explosive gas.
- The finer the aluminium, the greater the risk of fire and explosion.
- Dry dust extraction with explosive relief is required if the concentration of aluminium dust is above a certain threshold, but wet collectors and wet extraction systems, such as a wet downdraft bench, are preferable for aluminium extraction because they prevent the release of hydrogen gas (just in case).
- External ignition sources, such as a spark from grinding or cutting, a discharge from static electricity, or bare flames, are the most common causes of fires involving aluminium dust.
- Anxiety about aluminium's potential dangers can be alleviated with a dust sample and some familiarity with the process.
- Silver, which is commonly used in the jewellery industry, can cause respiratory irritation and allergy symptoms if exposed to the skin or the mucous membranes.
- Argyrosis may develop from prolonged contact with silver dust.
- Consistent contact with iron oxides is a leading cause of siderosis.
- Magnesium and other metals pose a significant fire risk due to their propensity to generate heat.
- Proper metalworking fluids can reduce the risk of chips smoking during production.
- Many cutting fluids contain rust inhibitors, which prevent chip oxidation by forming a thin coating on the chips.
- Water is a significant factor in corrosion, so it is important to drain excess cutting oil from chips and dry them.
- Acculube is your go-to source for expert guidance on preventing smoke chips and other machining-related problems.
- Persistent exposure to metal dust can cause a variety of respiratory problems.
- Pneumoconiosis is a catch-all name for interstitial lung disorders caused by inhaling mineral dust, which includes all of the aforementioned conditions.
- The use of a patient's own cells has the potential to alleviate lung inflammation, halt the worsening of the disease, and boost the quality of life for the affected individual.
- Interstitial pulmonary fibrosis can be caused by long-term exposure to many different kinds of dust in the lungs, independent of their toxicity.
- Overexposure to metals can cause harmful side effects in the body.
- Exposure to metals in the environment, whether through food, water, or industrial chemicals, can lead to heavy metal poisoning.
- Some of the things that can lead to heavy metal poisoning are:chemical exposure at work
- Pollution is brought on by either water or air.
- If testing confirms a diagnosis of heavy metal poisoning, the first step in treatment is to remove all potential sources of exposure.
- There may be mercury in the fish in your area, so be careful.
- It is important to be aware of potential lead exposure areas.
- Before bringing a product into your home, you should always check the label to see if there is a warning about heavy metals.
- Shavings of any metal, but especially titanium, pose a serious risk of starting a fire.
- Metal shavings can introduce chemical, physical, and biological hazards into food.
- Physical harm could be caused by metal shavings.
FAQs About Welding
Metal fumes are easily inhaled, causing dizziness and nausea. If you are exposed to them over a long time, even in small quantities, they can cause lung damage, and cancers of the lungs, larynx, and urinary tract. They also cause metal fume fever, stomach ulcers, kidney damage, and damage to the central nervous system.
Long-term exposure to metallic particles may cause impairment of pulmonary surfactant and lung function and result in chronic respiratory diseases. A significant decline in lung function consistent with slight airway obstruction has been reported in individuals working in the continuous casting processes.
Physical hazards occur when foreign contaminants, such as metal shavings, get into food and render it unfit for consumption.
Luckily, the lungs have another function - they have defense mechanisms that protects them by removing dust particles from the respiratory system.
Over time, breathing the dust from drywall joint compounds may cause persistent throat and airway irritation, coughing, phlegm production, and breathing difficulties similar to asthma. Smokers or workers with sinus or respiratory conditions may risk even worse health problems.