The hygroscopic behavior of individual aerosol particles from working places in a nickel refinery determined by environmental scanning electron microscopy

摘要

Cancer risk in the nickel refining industry depends on the nickel species inhaled.Four classes of solid nickel compounds (sulfidic,oxidic,metallic and water-soluble nickel) with different potential as cancer causing agents have been defined (Doll,1990).Health effects of nickel-containing aerosol particles have been studied only for pure substances.However,we have shown in a nickel refinery at Monchegorsk (Kola Peninsula,Russia) that exposure to pure substances does not occur (Hoflich et al,2000;Weinbruch et al.,2002).According to transmission electron microscopy (TEM),aerosol particles encountered at working places in this refinery always consist of complex mixtures-on a nanometer scale-of several phases.Based on selected area electron diffraction,the following nickel-containing phases were observed:metallic nickel,bunsenite (NiO),trevorite ((Ni,Cu)Fe_2O_4),heazlewoodite (Ni_3S_2),godlevskite ((Ni,Cu)_9S_8),orthorhombic NiSO_4 and amorphous Ni,Cu,Al,Pb sulfates of variable composition (Weinbruch et al,2002).