Biological effect markers in exhaled breath condensate and biomonitoring in welders: impact of smoking and protection equipment.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of welding as well as the impact of smoking and protection measures on biological effect markers in exhaled breath condensate. Additionally, biomonitoring of chromium, aluminium and nickel in urine was performed to quantify internal exposure.

METHODS: Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) and urine samples of 45 male welders and 24 male non-exposed control subjects were collected on Friday pre-shift and after 8 h of work post-shift. In EBC, biological effect markers such as malondialdehyde, nitrite, nitrate, 3-nitrotyrosine, tyrosine, hydroxyproline, proline, H(2)O(2) and pH-value were measured while aluminium, nickel, and chromium were measured in the urine samples.

RESULTS: Although internal exposure to aluminium, nickel and chromium in this study was low, welders showed significantly increased concentrations of all these parameters at baseline compared to non-exposed controls. Moreover, welders had higher nitrate concentrations in EBC at baseline and after shift. Nitrate concentration was considerably lower after shift if personal protection equipment was used. H(2)O(2) was increased only when subjects smoked during shift.

CONCLUSION: It has been shown that welding-associated long-term and short-term health effects could be detected in a population of welders. The results also showed that using personal protection equipment is of high importance and H(2)O(2) may be an effect marker associated with smoking rather than with welding fumes, while nitrate in EBC seems to be sensitive to welding fume exposure.