Cardiovascular toxicity of zinc oxide nanoparticles: Implications for welding workers

摘要

Zinc exists primarily in an oxidized form (ZnO) as aerosolized NP of 10 to 100 nm in diameter an d is usually produced in high-level concentrations du ring industrial processes, such as welding or cutting galvanized sheet metal. The results from animal and human exposure studies have raised questions as to whether the 5 mg/m3 8-hour time-weighted average threshold limit value (TLV) for the zinc metal fum e is sufficient to protect workers against metal fume fever (1, 2), especially given that the predominant ZnO is deposited in nano-sized fractions.