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Risk Assessment of the Impact of Industrial Dust, Chemicals, and Fine Particles in Workplace Air on Metallurgical Enterprise Employees

Risk Assessment of the Impact of Industrial Dust, Chemicals, and Fine Particles in Workplace Air on Metallurgical Enterprise Employees

ISSN 2223-6775 Ukrainian journal of occupational health Vol.20, No 4, 2024

https://doi.org/10.33573/ujoh2024.04.254

Risk Assessment of the Impact of Industrial Dust, Chemicals, and Fine Particles in Workplace Air on Metallurgical Enterprise Employees

Dmytrukha N.M.1, Sharavara L.P.2, Kozlov K.P.1

"1 State Institution "Kundiiev Institute of Occupational Health of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine", Kyiv

"2 Zaporizhzhia State Medical and Pharmaceutical University"

Introduction:

The metallurgical industry is a key sector in Ukraine, with workers consistently exposed to harmful environmental factors, leading to high incidences of occupational and industrially related diseases. Given the inherent hazards in this industry, stemming from complex technological processes, complete elimination of these risks is not feasible. Consequently, assessing the potential health risks to workers remains critically important.

Purpose of the Study:

This study aims to evaluate the risk posed by industrial dust, chemicals, and fine particulate matter (PM) in the air of the main workshops of a metallurgical enterprise, specifically focusing on their impact on worker health.

Materials and Methods:

Industrial dust and chemical content were analyzed using standard methodologies, while fine particles (PM) were measured with the Kanomax Piezobalance Dust Monitor 3521. The risk assessment was conducted at metallurgical enterprise, utilizing the hazard coefficient (HQ) and total non-carcinogenic risk (NCRT) calculations as per the Methodological Recommendations "Assessment of Risks to the Health of Workers from Air Pollution of the Working Area with Chemicals," approved by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine (Order No. 358, March 2, 2024).

Results:

The study revealed significant non-carcinogenic risks to the health of workers in different shops of the metallurgical enterprise. The total non-carcinogenic risk (NCRT) calculated for the sintering shop was 15.4, for the blast furnace shop it was 43.5, and for the open-hearth shop, it was 25.4. The main contributors to these risks were identified as industrial dust and hazardous chemicals, with manganese and iron (III) oxides playing a leading role. Further analysis of the hazard coefficients (HQ) for particulate matter indicated substantial risks. For PM10 exposure, the HQ was 18.6 for workers in the open-hearth shop, 38.0 for those in the blast furnace shop, and 25.4 for the sinter shop. In contrast, the HQ for plant management workers was relatively low at 1.2. For PM4 exposure, the HQ values were higher, with the open-hearth shop recording 26.4, the blast furnace shop 48.8, and the sinter shop 31.6. The plant management department had a HQ of 2.0. These results suggest that the levels of PM4 and PM10 present in the workplace air of employees in the main workshops are beyond acceptable limits, with PM4 presenting a more significant risk to health.

Conclusions:

Workers in the main shops of are exposed to levels of industrial dust and chemicals, specifically manganese oxide and iron (III) oxide, that exceed the maximum permissible concentrations (MPC). The calculated HQ and NCRT values for PM4 and PM10 highlight unacceptable risk levels, necessitating continuous monitoring and the implementation of stringent safety measures to protect worker health.

Keywords: Metallurgical enterprise, industrial dust, chemical factors, suspended fine particles, occupational risk assessment.

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