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Galvanized steel fumes

 

Does any body know the symptoms of inhaling fumes while welding galvanized steel? I was doing it about 3 days ago and I feel like I've got the flu, but I went to the doctor and he said it was just some anonymous virus. But now I'm starting to think it was b/c of the welding does anybody know?

Ian Davidson
- Charlottesville, Virginia

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There is something called "metal fume fever" and various terms like that, and the symptoms are supposedly virus-like (see www.osha-slc.gov/doc/outreachtraining/htmlfiles/weldhlth.html). But for a person not medically trained, and who has never even met you, to try to overrule the diagnosis of the doctor who examined you would be ridiculous. Instead of trying to determine whether you had metal fume fever or a virus, I would suggest you stop welding galvanized material unless you have excellent ventilation.

Something to remember is that some things that look like zinc galvanizing or zinc plating may actually be or may contain cadmium. Cadmium is a cumulative poison like mercury and lead, so ventilation is not required merely for short term prevention of flu-like symptoms but because you can't afford to accumulate cadmium in your bloodstream.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
 

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Metal fume fever typically starts having symptoms 4 hours after exposure, and is self limiting. It typically only lasts for 48 hours and is gone. Zinc is found in proteins in every cell in your body called "Zinc-finger proteins". So because it is normally found in your body, it is not toxic really and your body can just get rid of the excess by urinating it out. I think that if you got the symptoms 3 days after welding you are already past the time when you should be over the symptoms of metal fume fever.

Joe Atkin
- Salt Lake City, UT, USA
November 18, 2008