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Chemical Sampling Information |
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| Iron Oxide Fume |
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General Description
Synonyms: Ferric oxide; Iron (III) oxide
OSHA IMIS Code Number: 1520
IMIS Name History: Iron Oxide Fume (as Fe203) prior to 9/1/89
Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) Registry Number: 1309-37-1
NIOSH, Registry of Toxic Effects (RTECS) Identification Number: NO7400000 and NO7525000 (fume)
Department of Transportation Regulation Number (49 CFR 172.101) and Guide: 1376 135 [27 KB PDF] (spent)
NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards, Iron oxide dust and fume (as Fe): chemical description, physical properties, potentially hazardous incompatibilities, and more
Exposure Limits
OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for General Industry: 29 CFR 1910.1000 Z-1 Table -- 10 mg/m3 TWA
OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for Construction Industry: 29 CFR 1926.55 Appendix A -- 10 mg/m3 TWA
OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) for Maritime: 29 CFR 1915.1000 Table Z-Shipyards -- 10 mg/m3 TWA
American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) Threshold Limit Value (TLV): 5 mg/m3 TWA; Respirable Fraction; see Appendix C, Paragraph C. Appendix A4 - Not Classifiable as a Human Carcinogen
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Recommended Exposure Limit (REL): 5 mg/m3 TWA
Health Factors
Potential symptoms: Irritation of eyes, skin, respiratory system, cough; metal fume fever; siderosis (a benign pneumoconiosis, x-ray shadows indistinguishable from fibrotic pneumoconiosis); iron staining of the eyes.
Health Effects: Lung changes (Siderosis) (HE10)
Affected organ: Respiratory system
Notes:
- The acute intrapulmonary instillation of small ferric oxide particles in human volunteers induced a transient subclinical inflammation that resolved within 4 days.
- The ferric oxide particles are taken up by alveolar macrophages and cleared in two phases, one with a short half-life of 0.5 day and one with a long half-life of 110 days.
- The inhalation of respirable iron oxide particles at an average concentration of 12.7 mg/m3 for 30 minutes by human volunteers was reported to not significantly affect alveolar epithelial permeability, lung diffusing capacity, or pulmonary function.
- Exposure of lungs to iron oxide particles may trigger temporary local physiological changes, including increases in ferritin, transferrin receptors and lactoferrin, and a decrease in transferrin, to decrease potential oxidative stress from catalytically reactive iron.
- Bronchopulmonary lavage was used to remove nearly a gram of iron particles from the lungs of a welder.
Date Last Revised: 12/20/2005
Literature Basis:
- NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards: Iron oxide dust and fume (as Fe).
- International Chemical Safety Cards (WHO/IPCS/ILO): Ferric oxide.
- Ghio, A.J., Carter, J.D., Richards, J.H., Brighton, L.E., Lay, J.C. and Devlin, R.B.: Disruption of normal iron homeostasis after bronchial instillation of an iron-containing particle. Am J. Physiol. 274(3 Pt.1): L396-L403, 1998.
- Lay, J.C., Bennett, W.D., Kim, C.S., Devlin, R.B. and Bromberg, P.A.: Retention and intracellular distribution of instilled iron oxide particles in human alveolar macrophages. Am. J. Respir. Cell Mol. Biol. 18(5): 687-695, 1998.
- Lay, J.C., Zeman, K.L., Ghio, A.J. and Bennett, W.D.: Effects of inhaled iron oxide particles on alveolar epithelial permeability in normal subjects. Inhal. Toxicol. 13(12): 1065-1078, 2001.
- Pohanish, R.P. (editor): Iron Oxide (Fume). In, Sittig’s Handbook of Toxic and Hazardous Chemicals and Carcinogens, Fourth Ed., Vol. 2. Norwich, NY: Noyes Publications, William Andrew Publishing, 2002, pp. 1315-1317.
- Yamada, G., et al.: Use of bronchopulmonary lavage for eliminating inhaled fume particles from a patient with arc welder’s lung. Intern. Med. 37(11): 962-964, 1998.
Monitoring Methods used by OSHA
Laboratory Sampling/Analytical Method:
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sampling media: Mixed Cellulose Ester Filter (MCEF) 0.8 microns
maximum volume: 960 Liters minimum volume: 480 Liters maximum flow rate: 2.0 L/min
current analytical method: Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy; AAS
method reference: OSHA Analytical Method (OSHA ID-121)
method classification: Fully Validated
alternate analytical method: Inductively Coupled Argon Plasma; ICP/DCP-AES
method reference: OSHA Analytical Method (OSHA ID-125G)
method classification: Fully Validated
note: If the filter is not overloaded, samples may be collected up to an 8-hour period. Analytical method does not distinguish between dust and fume. When analysis of a compound is requested, an elemental analysis is performed and reported as the compound.
* All Trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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