Dangerous Welding Fumes from Galvanized Metal?

A. Most authorities believe metal fume fever to be a short term ailment which has no lingering after effects. I wouldn't claim that myself as it would seem that anything that makes you feel that bad can't be good for you in the long term.

See if your local poison control center can refer you to a doctor. There are occupational health doctors to whom metal fume fever would not be new and strange as perhaps it might be to a G.P. You might also see about having your friend visit a teaching hospital.

A. One of the (few) things I remember from a welding course of long ago was: Do not weld galvanize. To quote from the textbook, the fumes "are not compatible with life ... destroy lung tissue on contact." In light of the above, the "asthma and slight emphysema" sound like he got off easy!

A. Not calling you wrong, Tom, but can you attribute that book as it contradicts widely disseminated info on metal fume fever from experts (www.aws.org/technical/facts/FACT-25.PDF ⇩). Zinc is an essential nutrient, not a toxin (which is not to say an overdose isn't bad for you!)

Ed. update: The above link is broken. But the Internet Archive preserved a copy here  🙂

However, if Joyce's friend was welding cadmium plated materials, the problem could be cadmium pneumonitis (www.chestjournal.org/cgi/content/abstract/86/5/789), which is a much more serious problem that is sometimes originally misdiagnosed as metal fume fever.

Ed. update: The above link is broken. Thankfully, the wonderful Internet Archive preserved a copy here
Please consider a donation to The Internet Archive.

My feeling is that inhaling any welding fumes (or anything other than pure air) is bad for you and fumes should be extrcted, and you should be equipped, in such a way that you don't inhale anything.

Regards,

A. Galvanized steel means steel that has been hot dipped with a coating of zinc. Yes, this is worse than plain steel. Everyone admits that exposure to the fumes from welding zinc causes "metal fume fever". The argument is whether this condition, which passes in a few days, carries a longer term risk. Most say no, zinc is a normal part of the diet. Others remain concerned. But "There is no information in the literature regarding the effects of long-term exposure to zinc oxide fumes." [American Welding Society]. Another issue is that a diagnosis of metal fume fever can be incorrectly reached when the problem is something more serious like cadmium pneumonitis.

There are many threads on this site about the subject if you patiently search the site, and they offer links to authoritative discussions of the subject. .

A. Anyone who ever has welded galvanized metal KNOWS HOW REAL THIS IS. REGARDLESS OF WHAT SOME @#$%& IN MANAGEMENT MIGHT SAY. I appreciate the milk tip never heard that one before. On Friday I had to run some over head on .5" plate and about halfway through I was done, spent the weekend in bed feeling like the south end of a mule goin' north. The co. I work at now doesn't provide respirators but Oceaneering Int. provided those grey ones with the yellow plastic in the center. they seemed to work real good. I guarantee anyone who says this is bunk ought to try breathing in some for themselves. I heard tell the fumes may even contain trace amounts of arsenic as well. Fruits, and fruit juice should be avoided as well as soda and any other acidic type foods while feeling the effects. Drink plenty of water as always.

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A. Hi Byron. We get it. No one on this site or any site that we have linked to seems to claim that this is "bunk", Byron. To the contrary, everyone acknowledges it, and it even has been given the recognized name: "zinc fume fever" or "metal fume fever".

But any people honestly believe it does not have long term effects, however, because their in-depth research which seems to have included tabulating the results of 471 studies, apparently demonstrated no long long term ill effect. But at some point OSHA may change their opinion, of course! Further, nobody thinks metal fume fever is "okay" -- anyone going home sick from work is a very serious problem whether it has long term effects or doesn't!

I don't think anyone should ever inhale any welding fumes. You need extraction equipment and proper hoods with an air supply. But don't try to rig one yourself -- compressed air (shop air) will coat your lungs with oil and kill you.

I just finished trying to answer that to the best of my ability, Brian. Absolutely could be zinc fume fever. Anyone else is welcome to answer. Sorry for your troubles, and please see a doctor. Then do your best to insure good fume extraction and wear a proper respirator and forced air welding hood.

A. Thanks, Steve. Agreed that no one should go home sick!

Yes, there may be some very small and variable amount of cadmium or lead or chrome or nickel or tin or other contaminants in galvanizing, but you don't need any of them for "metal fume fever" / "zinc fume fever". As mentioned, this illness is very well known and well understood. Galvanizing is not a questionable substance in the sense of things like this being unknown.

Please consider zinc to be the canary in the coal mine. If you avoid the copious zinc fumes, and you don't come home sick from zinc exposure, you don't ever need to worry about the small amount of lead or cadmium or lead or other trace exposure. Thanks again.

A. I weld galv. everyday and wear a RESPIRATOR ... get a flexible one with P100 filters (they're pink), and change filters whenever your breathing becomes restricted.

A. 1. I do not weld but do enjoy solving problems.

2. I read www.sperkoengineering.com/html/articles/WeldingGalvanized.pdf and made some grammar corrections to Sperko by email

In www.sperkoengineering.com/html/articles/WeldingGalvanized.pdf

• PAGE 3 LINE 1 "WELDERS SHOULD TAUGHT" SHOULD BE "WELDERS SHOULD BE TAUGHT"
• LINE 5 "THE GUMES" "THE FUMES"

3. These are likely to be stupid observations / questions but here goes anyway:

Has anyone thought to use
A. a counterbalanced rig (think universal gym) attached to the gun?

www.sperkoengineering.com/html/articles/WeldingGalvanized.pdf
PAGE 4 PARAGRAPH 3
B. a partial glovebox, a plexiglass screen with holes for the arms?

C. A HUMAN GUIDED ROBOTIC WELDING ARM OR ARMS IF THEY WOULD BE USEFUL?

PAGE 5 "WHY NOT" PARAGRAPH 2 LINE 3-4
D. tried to use dehumidifier's in a closed room to dry out the item.

YOU MIGHT WANT TO LEAVE IT IN FOR MORE THAN A WEEK.

EQUIPMENT / ROOM / BUILDING 1

CONNECTED

TO POT / TANK / SWIMMING POOL SIZE BUILDING 2

E. LINE 7

YOU WILL WANT TO MULTI STATE REGIONAL CENTERS FOR THIS.

I may have Asperger's syndrome (AS) which explains why I came up with these.

look up ASPERGER , ASPERGINEERING
thanks

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A. I quickly re-read some of the posts made earlier, and after going to the website posted www.sperkoengineering.com/html/articles/WeldingGalvanized.pdf and seeing the text for myself, I would like to reiterate clearly and in simple sentences the effects (not effect) of galvanize. the effects include: diminished lung capacity, coughing and wheezing similar to asthma, reddish and irritated skin, irritated nose and throat, as well as lungs. Also, MASSIVE HEAVY-METAL DEPOSITS INSIDE THE LUNG. these are elements that will stay inside your lungs until you die, and indefinitely in your grave as zinc deposits.

The AFFECT of these EFFECTS is nausea, fever, rashes, and the whole nine affiliated with fume fever. however the reality is that any exposure, no matter how limited, will probably and eventually cause severe health problems, including LUNG DISEASE AND CANCER OF THE LUNG, EMPHYSEMA, SKIN CANCER AND TUMORS OF THE SKIN, AS WELL AS VARIED NERVOUS SYSTEM PROBLEMS (shakes, dyslexia, and even the inability to focus the pupil). although completely unproven are these statements, so are the statements of other employers and interests groups that study and provide information on companies and industries. there is no SCIENTIFIC basis for anything larger than the fact that zinc oxide used as sunscreen cannot compare to the inhalation of heavy metal directly to the lungs. No studies have been given to show the amount of damage or even relative exposure limits that would lead to damaged lungs. It is coherent to welder in the industry that had he taken the time to learn to weld, so would his education about the types of his materials being welded should be divulged. And it is the fault of the weak, the stupid, and the people that take advantage of both, that we have companies willingly producing toxic environments that will eventually lead to the demise of countless employees. I feel only pity for myself, as I have not yet taken the steps necessary to find a safer, more reliable employer who understands as I do the environment in which we work. God bless us, for the talent and the tenacity to finish the job, regardless of the risks.

! Hi, Kevin. Everyone is welcome to their opinion, and we are most pleased to print yours.

There is a downside to claiming that something is not harmful if it is, and Sperko and others will suffer the consequences if they and their references are wrong ... which they may be!

But there is also a downside to over-the-top claims of cancer and other long term damage if they're not true because they bring terrible heartache to welders and their panic-stricken spouses that it's too late and the die has been cast. People then may talk themselves into acting as their own physician, delaying needed treatment for a different ailment that they actually have.

Do you have any evidence, support, or qualifications for your claims (like an autopsy report or a reference to an article in a medical journal) regarding "massive heavy metal deposits in the lungs"? Some metals like cadmium, mercury, and lead bio-accumulate and are poison -- but do you have any evidence that zinc bio-accumulates? We see zinc supplements in health food stores, and lining the pharmacy shelves to help fight colds. Inhaling clouds of zinc is not the same as inhaling one small Zicam or ingesting it, of course -- I'm not saying it's not bad for you, it is very bad for you! -- but zinc is an essential micronutrient, not a toxin, so the "accumulation" claim should be at least questioned.

In general, people try to specify appropriate materials of construction, but every single one of them poses varying degrees of downsides and hazards of one type or another. We need to be smart about what material to use for each application. I'd like to see galvanizing be high purity if it still functions properly at high purity. Remember that galvanized transmission towers that last 50, 75, even 100 years with zero maintenance in remote areas have absolutely no match or substitute, and they save people and the environment from the downsides & dangers of constant painting, repair and replacement.

Regards,

A. Hi, Ben. A hot wood fire may be hot enough to melt zinc (420 °C). The boiling point is 907 °C, which seems hotter than a wood fire. So I would expect that the zinc would gradually vaporize off over several hours or several fires.

But the much bigger difference is, if you put a zinc plated object in a fire, the worst that can happen if for that limited amount of zinc on it to vaporize, rather slowly, in the open air; but when you are working as a welder, it's just one weld after another.

Regards,

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A. Just read this and I was thinking that you all may be helped with bentonite clay. I used it whenever I may be exposed to something. There are many brands... I put it in a glass of water, stir with a wooden spoon or stick... whenever is handy (clay absorbs metal). Drink it down... (maybe 2 Tbsp. in a glass of water) have a second glass of water ready... sometimes it needs to be washed down.

Hope this helps some people.

P.S.- If you take it all the time. Get a good trace mineral and vitamin supplement as it also absorbs good metals!

A. I welded galvanized sheet metal Thursday evening for about 1 hour and Friday morning about 1 hr. I apparently was not as well ventilated as I should have been. I went camping Friday night and awoke Saturday with problems. The longer I was awake the worse I felt. The headache was the worst. I drove home about noon. A 1 hour trip and I barely got home before vomiting. I tried to take a nap, but had a fitful rest with shaking and nausea. It's Sunday and I still feel bad, but not compared to Saturday.
This information is from a yahoo search I did on heavy metal toxicity.
www.lifeextensionvitamins.com/hemeto.html:

There are 35 metals that concern us because of occupational or residential exposure; 23 of these are the heavy elements or "heavy metals": antimony, arsenic, bismuth, cadmium, cerium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gallium, gold, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, platinum, silver, tellurium, thallium, tin, uranium, vanadium, and zinc (Glanze 1996). Interestingly, small amounts of these elements are common in our environment and diet and are actually necessary for good health, but large amounts of any of them may cause acute or chronic toxicity (poisoning). Heavy metal toxicity can result in damaged or reduced mental and central nervous function, lower energy levels, and damage to blood composition, lungs, kidneys, liver, and other vital organs. Long-term exposure may result in slowly progressing physical, muscular, and neurological degenerative processes that mimic Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, muscular dystrophy, and multiple sclerosis. Allergies are not uncommon and repeated long-term contact with some metals or their compounds may even cause cancer (International Occupational Safety and Health Information Centre 1999).
As a rule, acute poisoning is more likely to result from inhalation or skin contact of dust, fumes or vapors, or materials in the workplace. However, lesser levels of contamination may occur in residential settings, particularly in older homes with lead paint or old plumbing (International Occupational Safety and Health Information Centre 1999). The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ASTDR) in Atlanta, Georgia, (a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) was established by congressional mandate to perform specific functions concerning adverse human health effects and diminished quality of life associated with exposure to hazardous substances. The ASTDR is responsible for assessment of waste sites and providing health information concerning hazardous substances, response to emergency release situations, and education and training concerning hazardous substances (ASTDR Mission Statement, November 7, 2001). In cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the ASTDR has compiled a Priority List for 2001 called the "Top 20 Hazardous Substances." The heavy metals arsenic (1), lead (2), mercury (3), and cadmium (7) appear on this list.
Cadmium. Cadmium is a byproduct of the mining and smelting of lead and zinc and is number 7 on ASTDR's "Top 20 list." It is used in nickel-cadmium batteries, PVC plastics, and paint pigments. It can be found in soils because insecticides, fungicides, sludge, and commercial fertilizers that use cadmium are used in agriculture. Cadmium may be found in reservoirs containing shellfish. Cigarettes also contain cadmium. Lesser-known sources of exposure are dental alloys, electroplating, motor oil, and exhaust. Inhalation accounts for 15-50% of absorption through the respiratory system; 2-7% of ingested cadmium is absorbed in the gastrointestinal system. Target organs are the liver, placenta, kidneys, lungs, brain, and bones (Roberts 1999; ASTDR ToxFAQs for Cadmium).
Cadmium. Acute exposure to cadmium generally occurs in the workplace, particularly in the manufacturing processes of batteries and color pigments used in paint and plastics, as well as in electroplating and galvanizing processes. Symptoms of acute cadmium exposure are nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and breathing difficulty.
Chronic exposure to cadmium can result in chronic obstructive lung disease, renal disease, and fragile bones. Protect children by carefully storing products containing cadmium, especially nickel-cadmium batteries. Symptoms of chronic exposure could include alopecia, anemia, arthritis, learning disorders, migraines, growth impairment, emphysema, osteoporosis, loss of taste and smell, poor appetite, and cardiovascular disease.

A. Hi, Matthew. It does sound like you suffered metal fume fever, and I have no doubt that it feels awful. The cause is zinc fumes. You seem to be implying that galvanizing is cadmium, but galvanizing is zinc and I think there is very very little cadmium in galvanizing. Thread 37394 estimates that it would be under 5 parts in a million.

Regards,

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

Many thanks for the advice. Also consider...

Cadmium occurs in some alloys. It may also be part of the coating of the welding electrode, or in other protective coatings. Cadmium can cause serious pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs). Chronic effects are emphysema and kidney damage. Potential exposure to cadmium fumes warrants stringent preventative measures.

www.safework.sa.gov.au/uploaded_files/gs33i.pdf

Hi,
just wondered, isn't standard MIG wire used to weld mild steel cadmium coated? It looks like it, got the same color. I rebuild classic cars as a hobby, use galv sheet because I only work part-time and need to prevent rust, so I have experienced the galv illness a few times, but recently have had feelings of chest restriction and discomfort and an intermittent ache down my arms. Had my ticker and lungs checked, but everything came up peachy in those departments. Headaches, shakes and the like also part of the scene. Just wondered...
Thanks!

A. I was also a sheet-metal worker for 10 plus years and the last 4 years I have been working in a foundry . in my research into metal fume fever , I am led to believe that if you are exposed every day your body will adapt and the symptoms go away but will return after a vacation or any extended absence. Some people also seem to be sick on Monday and better the rest of the week. Hope this helps

A. Okay let's get to the point. ALL welding fumes are bad for you if it be galv, mild steel or whatever you are welding. I have been a welder for 10+ years and at the end of a work day when I blow my nose it was black until I got an air fed mask, yes I know they can be expensive but what would you pay for a new set of lungs or to live that little bit longer? I for one would not weld ANYTHING without an air fed unit again and here in the UK good employers will provide them for you but at the end of the day you CAN afford to buy one because it's YOUR HEALTH your investing in.

A. Pain below the sternum can be the symptoms of many things,
dueodenal ulcer, hiatial hernia, pancreatitis. so best advice get him checked. If he refuses to go for a test I always believe the patient will go himself for help when the pain really kicks in. hopefully they will be able to repair what's wrong !!

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A. Hi, Breanna. "Working with" is an awfully vague term, although what you are doing doesn't seem to have anything to do with zinc fume fever. Do you use any cyanide-bearing chemicals in your work? If not, do you have good ventilation for your soldering? But your second opinions and third opinions should come from other doctors who actually examine you :-)

Regards,

A. I can't help but wonder if metal fume fever isn't caused by the multitude of other chemicals one could produce while welding. Zinc and oxygen aren't the only variables in this equation. We must also consider the other gases in our atmosphere and the type of welding that's taking place. Acetylene, propane, fluxes all become chemical factors/reagents. I'm terrible at chemistry; I wish I had more to contribute to this topic.

A. Hi, Sandra.

People have such medical problems whether they weld galvanized steel or not, so it's not easy to know what contributed to it, and the phrase 'due to' is almost surely too strong.

Please go to a doctor for your health concerns, but go to a lawyer for redress of grievances because you can trust your doctor to do his best to suggest the proper treatment for your husband, but you really can't expect the doctor to render an opinion on whether your husband's employment decades ago was the cause or contributory cause. Your doctor probably says to himself "I'm a doctor, that's what I want to do and am good at. I didn't go into this profession to become a courtroom witness; please don't try to drag me into becoming one for you".

A lawyer will take your case if he thinks it is winnable, and he will have contact with doctors who prefer being expert witnesses to being general practitioners.

Regards,

A. Hi Wally.

Zinc-based "cold easing" tablets leave the same taste in your mouth. But you shouldn't be breathing those fumes. Such overdosing on zinc is not good for you. Get an air supply welding helmet.

Luck & Regards,


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

A. Hi, Jared.

I've felt like you are describing twice in my life, and both times it was food poisoning, which can be rather dangerous. So what I am saying is that when you are feeling that badly you should see a doctor, not just assume that you are suffering from metal fume fever. Welding galvanized doesn't give you a dispensation against other illnesses, and it's risky to proceed as if every time you are sick, whatever the symptoms are, it must be from inhaling zinc fumes and can't be anything else.

That, of course, does not change the fact that you should not be inhaling those fumes. You have to have proper ventilation. Zinc is a vital nutrient, not a poison, but an overdose will make you feel terrible and may have long term bad effects. Further, you are supposed to take in your nutrients by eating and digesting them, not by slathering your lungs with them.

Regards,

A. Hi again Jared.

I personally think an air supply welding helmet rather than an respirator is the best thing to use. Don't breathe filtered welding smoke, breathe fresh air  🙂

Luck & Regards,


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

A. Hi Drew.

As I replied to Jared, I personally think an air supply welding helmet rather than an respirator is the thing to use. Don't breathe filtered welding smoke, breathe fresh air  🙂

Luck & Regards,


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

A. Hi Lorinda.

I don't know the answer to your question as posed, but my personal position is that drinking milk is a 1950's approach to metal fume fever, and the 2012 answer is that people should never come home sick from work.

Regards,

A. I am 16 in the first year in my apprenticeship and currently have galvanize poisoning because someone was in a bay next to me and didn't let me know they were welding galv. This is the first time I've had galv poisoning and I usually work on galv two or three times a week. Usually I use a p3 mask and have my respirator going at the same time and it seems to work for me.

A. I've been a full time fabricator for ten years and have welded galvanized/galvanneal for days on end and never experienced any symptoms of zinc fume fever. My main concern is the plume smells of chlorine and sulfur which could also be toxic in longterm exposure. I have experienced minor bouts of nausea while welding just from the smell, a fan behind my hood stops this immediately (no smell / no nausea). I have always been under the assumption that nickel present in alloy steels especially stainless are more dangerous and likely to cause the "nickel chills" or fume fever also associated with zinc and other heavy metal fume exposure.

A. Galvanized steel can be welded safely by avoiding breathing the fumes. It's that simple. If you see white deposits inside your shield, that is zinc oxide, and its presence says your head has been in the fume plume. Get it out! The next step is to wear a high-efficiency particulate filter. While 3M's Premium Welding Fume Respirator 06920 (Valved) is OK, be sure it's on tight and snug all around. If you do a lot of welding on galvanized steel, use a cartridge-type filter; these are better because the seal is more reliable than the 06920 which is a painter's mask style. An even better approach is to have a supplied air system such as an one that is integrated into the welding hood with a batter backpack, integral fan and filter. Other methods of moving the fumes out of the welder's breathing zone such as fans, local exhaust, downdraft tables, smoke capture welding guns, etc. are discussed in more detail in the article listed below.

While breathing zinc oxide fume will make you sick, there are no long-term health effects according to the literature. See my article http://www.sperkoengineering.com/html/articles/WeldingGalvanized.pdf for references. Zinc vaporizes under the welding arc, and when it contacts oxygen in the atmosphere, it turns to zinc oxide - the white component of the welding fume. These particles are approximately the size of bacteria, and when you inhale them, your body is fooled into thinking they are bacteria, and it goes into a "kill" mode with fever, chills, nausea, etc. described in many of the above posts. The zinc oxide is absorbed easily by the lungs and passes out through your urine within 24 hours with no long-term effects. THE ONLY WAY TO AVOID GETTING ILL FROM INHALING THE ZINC OXIDE WHEN WELDING GALVANIZED STEEL IS TO AVOID INHALING THE FUMES. SEE THE FIRST PARAGRAPH!

While the above is true for the general population, I have encountered at least one individual who what hyper-sensitive to zinc fumes and to dermal contact with zinc oxides -- he could not walk through the shop where galvanized product was welded even if there was no welding going on. If you take the first paragraph precautions, wash your hands and face before eating and still have a reaction to zinc oxides, go to the drug store and buy some (in the sunscreen products) and put a small dab on the back of your hand and cover it with a band-aid. If you get a reaction within, you need to stay away from it.

Also, while zinc is a heavy metal, it does not accumulate in your body like some metals (lead, copper, arsenic, nickel, etc.). Zinc is actually an essential micronutrient -- you need 15 mg/day to stay healthy. One last note of precaution: The zinc used in galvanizing today is usually pretty pure, but it can have 1 to 2% naturally occurring lead in it, so not breathing the fumes and washing before eating are even more important.

Regards,

Walt

A. Hi Alice. Very sorry to hear of this family hardship.

Which heavy metals have reportedly accumulated in his glands? I personally dislike the phrase 'heavy metals' because it obfuscates things by mixing together helpful and harmful metals into an impenetrable morass of needless dread. The heavy metals cadmium, mercury, and lead are a serious problem whereas the heavy metals tin, iron and gold are not, and most people think zinc, silver and some others are not bio-accumulative and could only be harmful in unusual circumstances (like drinking soluble silver salts). That's my current understanding, subject of course to acquiring a better education on the subject.

Maybe there were dangerous molds in that crawl space having nothing to do with galvanizing. One problem I have with this topic is that if people "oversell" the dangers of galvanizing, people may jump to the conclusion that it is the cause of their ill health, and other things causes can be ignored, sometimes dangerously.

Please reference that 'recent research' if you can. It sounds highly questionable to me against my current knowledge base.

Regards,

Dear Ted,
Thanks for your insightful response. It helped me re-think my resentment. Our doctor did not do any follow-up tests, and my husband returned to work with modifications to his duties. Subsequent doctors did order specific lab work nor did we insist on anything that isn't covered by insurance. I did look up articles on any genetic abnormalities and the research is still out on that (although it's clear that some species adapt to pollution better than others). My husband is enjoying an early retirement and we have decided to keep a positive attitude.
Thanks again for your response!

A. Best wishes Alice.

Regards,

A. Hi Leanne. Galvanized material is steel that has been hot-dipped into molten zinc. The zinc sacrificially protects the steel from corrosion; so galvanizing is widely used, especially on roofs, large nuts & bolts, electrical transmission towers, and other areas where long life is needed and maintenance may be difficult.

When you weld that steel, the zinc coating on it vaporizes into the air and can be inhaled. Zinc is not toxic, in fact it is an essential nutrient, and is the ingredient in cold prevention remedies. But this vast overload of zinc, inhaled rather than ingested, definitely does cause this metal fume fever problem. Whether it has any longterm effects is more debatable, with studies over many decades saying it has no long term effects, but common sense telling us that an overdose that makes us sick, frequently repeated, may not be as innocuous as we're told.

The resolution is not to argue about longterm effects of such repeated overdoses, but to make sure they don't happen in the first place via excellent general ventilation and, if the exposure is more than de minimus, properly designed welding hoods. Good luck.

Regards,

A. I had metal fume fever once. I had a bunch of silver oxide I was trying to bring up to metal. My workshop filled with fumes but I thought: what the hay? people put this stuff on their noses.

I came down with this acute attack of "flu." Ack. I was running to the powder room every 10 minutes for a solid day.

Either remove the Zn before welding or wear a well fitted cartridge respirator. I wouldn't wish that sickness on my worst enemy.

Thank You!! Will pass this information on.

Thanks for your time.

Leanne

A. Back in the '70s I was building things using galvanized metal. I was concerned about welding fumes from the zinc.
I asked the Head Chemist at the WSDOT materials lab about the dangers of welding on galvanized metals.
He said the zinc fumes could make you very sick. However, the danger comes from the arsenic & cadmium that are associated with zinc.
And yes I had the "flu" and bad taste in my mouth.

He suggested pouring muriatic acid on the weld area to remove the galvanize. Since the acid is used for cleaning brick work it is really available at hardware stores and is cheap, too; also it is not as dangerous to handle as other acids.

It seemed to work.

A. Hi Bob. Sorry for your troubles. Certainly, it's possible!

On the other hand, I'm 73 and have had emphysema for at least 30 years and never welded in my life -- but I did smoke. Did you? If yes, as responsible elders, let's be careful to not offer younger people who are still smoking any straws to clutch at :-)

Regards,

  I have never smoked but I had second hand smoke as a kid.
Thanks Ted,

A. I worked for a rooftop curb manufacturer as a welder/fabricator/duct mechanic for 4 years. I welded galvanized everyday for several hours each day and I never got sick like so many here have described. This was prior to receiving formal education in welding and joining technology from an accredited school. At the time there was no proper ventilation and I wasn't informed by the employer of any specific risks when welding galvanized. With that said I knew those fumes couldn't be good in any amount. The company provided simple dust masks that were more so for the grounds/maintenance crew that would cut grass and weed eat around the property. I tried them at one point but found them to be more of a hindrance and far less effective than my method I'm about to reveal. I don't mean this as an insult to anyone here but I think using common sense (considering the lack of ventilation and proper PPE) and taking certain precautions are what saved me from experiencing any of these severe issues.

Plain and simple all I did was intentional breath-work. Before beginning my welds I would purge my hood by forcefully exhaling through my mouth followed by an inhale through my nose. Then I would start welding and once my hood was full with fumes I would purge my hood again by forcefully exhaling. Once my hood was clear of fumes I would inhale. Now just alternate being sure to purge your hood each time with the exhale. I realize that to some extent you're still breathing some of the fumes but I believe it to be far less than with any simple respirator due to lack of a proper seal to your face and/or ineffective cartridges. Even with a respirator you're still taking your breath from those plumes of welding fumes and I just didn't trust what was available to effectively do the job.

Hope this helps someone. I will say nothing probably beats a fresh air respirator with a constant flow of air when combined with proper ventilation. That's just my opinion but the best thing to do is simply avoid welding galvanized altogether if possible.