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Toxicity of Zinc Phosphate pretreatment

I have recently become concerned about the toxicity of the zinc phosphate bath which is a part of the E-coat line which I am the technician for. I was wondering if anyone could give me a ballpark on what was too much exposure. I hesitate to make it an issue with management because the cost of having the blood analysis is perhaps in their opinion excessive... Naturally I would like to research the issue before I bring it to anyone's attention in the first place. Any info would be greatly appreciated. thanks.

David VanThournout
- Rock Island IL
1999

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1999

Hopefully someone will correct me if I am in error, but I am not aware of any suggested or mandated limitations on exposure to zinc phosphate. As was pointed out in another letter here recently, the inorganic compounds in water solution that are used in the finishing industry have such a high vapor pressure that none (essentially) evaporates from the solution and the only real exposure issue would be any powders made airborne during makeup of the zinc phosphate solutions.

However, they may be small quantities of proprietary organic addition agents in the solution, and the best way to check this is in the Material Safety Data Sheet which the supplier must provide and which the employer must make handy.

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