Welding Aluminum Health Risks?

[SnapB75]

I was wondering are their any health risks involved in welding aluminum? I have been welding aluminum for the past six months. I am using 100% argon when welding and the processes I am using are GMAW-P / GTAW-P.

I am doing a lot of grinding and buffing also. I know aluminum can be harmful inside the human body. So I try to use my dusk mask as much as possible. I am in a shop and there is decent air flow through the building. If it is a windy day we keep the doors down though.

I just didn’t know if there are any harmful gases that I could breathe in while welding aluminum. Could argon be harmful at all?

Thanks!

[pulser]

too much argon will kill you, so will too much water.

[Doolittle]

Heres a link to an argon msds:
http://www.beg.utexas.edu/environqlty/co2seq/pubs_presentations/appendixa/Argon%20msds.pdf

There is several more available on aluminum and aluminum oxide (looks pretty safe). I didnt see anything about it giving off any gasses while molten.

[lotechman]

What is the most common element on the planet??? There have been lots of accusations about aluminum causing Alzheimer's. I can't remember where I heard it first :'))
Argon is inert so you cannot be poisoned by it. There are some reasonable fingers pointed at manganese compounds from the alloy but they are small and if you use proper ventilation you are safe. The other concern is Ozone produced in the arc. Again if you use reasonable ventilation there are no problems.

[zapster]

#1 health risk in welding aluminum?

Thats e-z..

when you melt your work into the molten ball..and it lands in your lap..:blob2:

watch out...:laugh:


On a serious note..

Breathing in too much argon will eventually make you short of breath..
its heavy...settles in your lungs...:help:
and an inverted table works wonders for argon removal..(no kiddin')






However..
Breathing in helium will result in "Donald Duck" talk for awhile...



...zap!

[lorenzo]

argon is heavier than air so it displaces the air capacity of your lungs....

[backuproller]

do headstand, voilla, argon displaced by air.

[76GMC1500]

Funny enough, that's what you're supposed to do if you find someone unconcious near refrigerant. You've got to drain it out of their lungs.

[DesertRider33]

I dont know what the dangers are, but I dont like breating the smoke from it. It makes me hack and cough, I feel it in my nose and throat and it gets harder to breathe after awhile. Now I keep a small fan going in my work area at all times to help blow the smoke away. As long as my body is between the fan and the weld, the shielding gas doesn't get blown away by the fan but the majority of the smoke stays outta my face. Our shop had a fume evacuation system but it hasn't worked in years and has since been dismantled, so portable fan is all the ventilation we get.

[SnapB75]

Ok I got ya. If you breathe in too much argon do a hand stand.

[billettbob]

If you enter an area where there is a heavier than air atmosphere and are over come by it because the Argon or ? fills your lungs, you cannot just stand on your head to let it leak out. It entered your lungs with the breathing process which sucks it in with a vacuum. Therefore it must be manually extracted using the old abdominal push method or by using rescue breathing (Part of CPR). I was an EMT for 15 years.
Be careful where you breath. Billet Bob

[mccolld]

Uh, since it's heaver than air, won't standing on your head put your face where it's more concentrated........

[Teddco]

Why take the chance? Your lungs aren't designed to process any metal vapors. I wear a respirator when welding, grinding, and cutting.

[SnapB75]

If you enter an area where there is a heavier than air atmosphere and are over come by it because the Argon or ? fills your lungs, you cannot just stand on your head to let it leak out. It entered your lungs with the breathing process which sucks it in with a vacuum. Therefore it must be manually extracted using the old abdominal push method or by using rescue breathing (Part of CPR). I was an EMT for 15 years.
Be careful where you breath. Billet Bob

I figured that standing on you head would not expel the argon. It was a funny idea though. I breathened in too much argon once. My regulator was turned all the way up when I ran a bead and could hardly breathe. I had no clue what was wrong with me. Once I found out why I was having trouble breathing it was kind of funny b/c I was very gassy for a couple of minutes.:blush:

[Royal Dadness]

I was wondering are their any health risks involved in welding aluminum? I have been welding aluminum for the past six months. I am using 100% argon when welding and the processes I am using are GMAW-P / GTAW-P.

I am doing a lot of grinding and buffing also. I know aluminum can be harmful inside the human body. So I try to use my dusk mask as much as possible. I am in a shop and there is decent air flow through the building. If it is a windy day we keep the doors down though.

I just didn’t know if there are any harmful gases that I could breathe in while welding aluminum. Could argon be harmful at all?

Thanks!

I'm not sure about the gas, but you may have other things to worry about in the grinding area. Take a look at this link http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_216a.html
and make up your own mind.

[12,000 Doors]

All welding can do serious damage to your eyes. I've had more than one friend say the doctor told them they have the eyes of a ninety year old. Be careful out there.

[FabFab]

I just saw this thread from doing a lot of research on the site and thought maybe I could share some helpful insight to a lot of you welders based on my experiences the last couple months. I recently started working at a new shop welding a lot of aluminum, which is basically all they use. After the first couple of days working there I would always come home with a headache and fever which freaked me out cuz I basically thought I was developing the flu everyday, not only that but my nose was always very irritated and every now and then I'd get short of breath, sometimes I would wake up in the middle of the night with a very itchy and runny nose and the next morning I would notice the Kleenex I had used to blow my nose in the middle of the night would be bloody, this is called metal fume fever and is common with all welders but especially stainless and aluminum welders, the symptoms are headache, nausea, irritated respiratory and nasal passages, fever, metal taste in mouth and shortness of breath (which is even more common with smokers). Some people have even linked Alzheimer's disease with argon based welding. everyone's body is different so everyone is affected differently, I'm apparently more sensitive to it than others but one thing I will use reliously from here on out is my respirator and if you guys wanna be fabbin and welding for a long time I'd highly recommend investing in a good fresh air system for your helmet or at least wear a decent respirator, it's an investment that will pay you back with your health and your life so it's well worth it. :) I hope this can help some of you guys out and make you aware of some of the dangers, and don't think bcuz the guy you work with is 65 years old healthy and has welded all his life that you'll b fine cuz like I said everyone's body is different. what one man needs to survive may kill you.

[lotechman]

Nose and throat irritation and headaches are common with high levels of Ozone. Best solution for aluminum welding is face mask with filter cartidges hanging on your back. They are a bit pricey... Locally about 200 dollars.
To clarify Alzeimers ... dimentia can be caused by higher levels of aluminum. Normally aluminum is excreted from the body however if you had kidney failure and were on a kidney machine thrity years ago. Dimentia was a complication. So aluminum buildup and Alzeimers are not directly related.

[AluminumWelder]

I dont' see ANY fumes from welding 1/16th square AL tube. I'm sure there are fumes made, but nothing like stick welding steel which has sparks and smoke blowing everywhere

I'm going to put in a bathroom venilation van above the work place to take out any ozone

"investing in a good fresh air system for your helme"t

are there any brands you recommend. I saw some used on ebay like this
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Speedglas-Welding-Helmet-Fresh-Cool-Air-9002X-3M-/150962922855?_trksid=p3284.m263&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA% 252BUA%252BFICS%252BUFI%26otn%3D21%26pmod%3D181038 639119%26ps%3D54

would thsi be good? I dont' see what it does, it just sucks air from your back side and blows it in front of your face? seems like a respirator would be better. though less comfortable

[European Welding Spc]

I dont' see ANY fumes from welding 1/16th square AL tube. I'm sure there are fumes made, but nothing like stick welding steel which has sparks and smoke blowing everywhere

I'm going to put in a bathroom venilation van above the work place to take out any ozone

"investing in a good fresh air system for your helme"t

are there any brands you recommend. I saw some used on ebay like this
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Speedglas-Welding-Helmet-Fresh-Cool-Air-9002X-3M-/150962922855?_trksid=p3284.m263&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%26itu%3DUCI%252BIA% 252BUA%252BFICS%252BUFI%26otn%3D21%26pmod%3D181038 639119%26ps%3D54

would thsi be good? I dont' see what it does, it just sucks air from your back side and blows it in front of your face? seems like a respirator would be better. though less comfortable

I would watch out using the vent helmets that suck air from your back side..
I have 1 ..... I farted and almost died from the smell ... lol

[ironmangq]

As far as getting argon out of the lungs, if you are still breathing, then inverting yourself should get it out, if that wasnt the case then most of us would be dead from some type of heavier than air gas being inhaled. If you arent breathing, then some help might be needed and you may already be dead.

Aluminum- At one time there was a study that claimed that aluminum was related to Alzheimer's and they tried to scare everyone into throwing out all the aluminum cookware, aluminum foil, and soda cans. It was found to be false in several follow up studies and determined that aluminum was no more of a danger than anything else in the home.

Ozone- toxic to the human body and formed when an electric arc causes O2 molecules to split and recombine into O3, makes a great anti-microbial treatment and deodorizes things pretty well, In an argon environment you are lacking everything needed to make ozone except the arc- mostly a shielded argon environment has NO OXYGEN- hence the reason for the argon, without oxygen you cant make ozone so as far as that goes, welding of aluminum with argon should pose no ozone issue.

In reality, i would be more concerned about any contaminants on the surface being burned off and the grinding, buffing material than I would be about the aluminum itself. Above that I would be more worried about skin problems from the high levels of UV radiation. Now arc welding and mig welding will probably cause more issues than tig will due to the amount of fume and the different mix gases that are given off.

[shovelon]

in reality, i would be more concerned about any contaminants on the surface being burned off and the grinding, buffing material than i would be about the aluminum itself. Above that i would be more worried about skin problems from the high levels of uv radiation. Now arc welding and mig welding will probably cause more issues than tig will due to the amount of fume and the different mix gases that are given off.

^^^^^^^^^^ this ^^^^^^^^^

[AluminumWelder]

That's good to know as we do very little grinding or buffing and I honestly cant' smell any nasty fumes from tig welding the aluminum, just faint metal smell from heating it up so much. Just bought some chem sharp so we don't even grind the tungstens anymore.

[rlitman]

Just bought some chem sharp so we don't even grind the tungstens anymore.

That stuff is probably more toxic than the tungsten itself. :(