HEALTH HAZARDS OF FOUNDRIES AND FORGES

1 HEALTH HAZARDS OF FOUNDRIES AND FORGES . Anuj Kumar Shrivastava Department of Applied Sciences and Humanities National Institute of Foundry and forge Technology (NIFFT). Hatia, Ranchi 834003 (Jharkhand). ABSTRACT. A huge amount of dust, SPM, RSPM and gaseous pollutants is released into the environment both workplace and ambient environment from various FOUNDRIES , FORGES of Iron & Steel industries and other manufacturing industries. These pollutants cause HEALTH HAZARDS . Many HEALTH HAZARDS are reported in the foundrymen and forge shops workers of the industries. Keywords : FOUNDRIES , FORGES , HEALTH HAZARDS . INTRODUCTION fired cupolas in Agra, glass making units at Firozabad (Singh 2 and Vaish 2008) and more than 200 FOUNDRIES In Iron & Steel and other manufacturing around Kolkata, Howarah urban metropolitan industries, FOUNDRIES and FORGES produce a lots of complex have reported to produce huge amount of pollutants in the environment both working and particulates and gaseous matter in the atmosphere ambient environment.

2 In these processes, metals (Dutta 3 2008). These pollutants cause various are extracted and produced from ores by various HEALTH HAZARDS in human beings. metallurgical processes and processes for moulding, melting and castings etc. are accompanied by GENERAL HEALTH HAZARDS OF FOUNDRIES . evolution of heat, noise, dust fines, fly-ash, oxides AND FORGES . of Nitrogen, Sulphur and metals. Particulate matters are generated in large quantities when preparing Many people are exposed to common air mould core sands and moulds melting metals, pollutants in their occupations smoke, dust, pouring metal, knocking out poured moulds and SPM, RSPM, carbon mono-oxide, sulphur dioxide, loading and unloading raw materials. Here metals oxides of nitrogen (Nox), hydrocarbons, and heavy are given a specific shape by metal castings for metals like Pb, Cd, Cr, As, Ni etc.

3 Their prolonged various engineering purposes. exposure causes various HEALTH HAZARDS . Heavy metals cause acute and chronic poisoning. Some Gaseous matters like gases, vapours, fumes disastrous episodes have focused attention upon and smoke are produced during melting and pouring air pollution as a HEALTH hazard. operations. The major pollutants are emitted from various work areas in Foundry Pattern shop, Some fugitive gaseous and dust emissions may Sand preparation, moulding and core making, mould cause primary occupational HEALTH problems to the drying and ladle heating, cupola, electric arc furnace, workers engaged in the FOUNDRIES , gaseous and pouring and mould cooling, knockout, fettling, heat dust emissions from the FOUNDRIES pose potential treatment etc. In addition, various air pollutants and HEALTH risk to the populations residing in the noise pollutants (Davis, 2002) 1 are produced from surrounding areas.

4 Black lung, metal fume fever, forge shops and other manufacturing industrial units. silicosis, pneumoconiosis etc. are all occupational Pollutants are also emitted in sintering, pelletisation, maladies which are attributed to inhalation of one or rolling mills, coke-oven plants, refractories etc. in other type of fine dust particles (Khoshoo 4 , 1984). steel making and by-products manufacturing. Coke- Transactions of 57th IFC 2009 269. Some general HEALTH HAZARDS are caused as a above, some specific HEALTH HAZARDS are prevalent result of contact between the pollutants and the amongst workers in FOUNDRIES & FORGES of Iron &. body. These HAZARDS are as follows : Steel industries and other manufacturing industries. Eye irritation. Dust, SPM, noise and gaseous pollutants pose a potential threat to HEALTH of workers in industries Headache.

5 And populations residing in the surrounding areas. Dust also absorb gases and in such a combination Nose and throat irritation. prove to be a more serious HEALTH HAZARDS due to synergism. It has recently been demonstrated that Irritability of respiratory tract. SO 2 absorbed on submicroscopic particles penetrate deep into the lungs and this is a greater danger to Gases like hydrogen sulphide, ammonia and HEALTH (Khoshoo 4 , 1984). mercaptans cause odour nuisance even at low concentrations. Silicosis and siderosis are common diseases in foundrymen and forge shops workers. Most of the High temperature can cause fatigue and cases of silicosis, however, have arisen in the dehydration. manufacture of silica containing materials and in foundry workers. Pottery industry got such a bad Chronic pulmonary diseases like Bronchitis and reputation for silicosis.

6 Grinders in the cutlery asthma, are aggravated by a high concentration industry using sandstone wheels died in large o f S O 2 , N O 2 , pa r t i c u l a t e m a t t e r a n d numbers from silicosis. Pneumoconiosis and black photochemical smog. lung diseases are caused due to coal dust. Asbestosis is common in asbestos workers in Carbon monoxide combines with the industries. haemoglobin in the blood and consequently increases stress on those suffering from cardio- Direct IR radiation poses a risk to sight. Contact vascular and pulmonary diseases. with hot metal or hot water may result in severe burns. Workers exposed to gamma rays and related Dust particles cause respiratory disease. ionising radiations suffer from several hasards. Diseases like silicosis, asbestosis etc.

7 Result Explosion and fire HAZARDS occur during handling from specific dust. of liquid metal and the presence of flammable chemicals & liquid fuel. Iron foundry slag may be Carcinogenic agents like PAH's, Cr(VI), Cd etc. highly reactive if calcium carbide is used to cause cancer. desulphurise the iron ( Anand 5 , 2008). Hydrogen fluoride causes diseases of bone HEALTH HAZARDS DUE TO HEAVY METALS. (fluorosis) and mottling of teeth. Heavy metals pollution either directly or indirectly Certain heavy metals like lead, cadmium, entering the food chain are becoming an increasing mercury , chromium, nickel, manganese etc. threat to HEALTH . mercury metal is toxic for living enter into body by inhalation, skin absorption beings. It enters into the body through either food and through food chain.

8 They cause acute and chain or by skin or inhalation, which causes mercury chronic poisoning. poisoning. The symptoms of mercury poisoning are tremor, gingivitis and loss of teeth, together with a SPECIFIC HEALTH HAZARDS OF FOUNDRIES & condition called erethism , an individual shyness FORGES (Murray 6 , 1988). Apart from the general HEALTH HAZARDS described Organic mercurials are used as bactericides 270 February 13-15, 2009, Kolkata, India and fungicides and are used in the paint, paper and diseases have been reported. Public HEALTH alkali industries. Methyl mercury is more poisonous assessment in FORGES and FOUNDRIES was done. than mercury itself, which is used as a catalyst in High burn HAZARDS were seen in longitudinal wear a factory in Minamata. Tetra ethyl lead (TEL) used study of four work shirts in ferrous metals in forge as antiknock agent in gasoline and TML cause and foundry workers.

9 Some HEALTH HAZARDS are potential HEALTH hazard. The harmful effects include seen in FORGES and FOUNDRIES of industries from blocking of spindle fibre mechanism in cell division, emissions of their propane burner. Sometime uncoupling oxidative phosphorylation and altered explosion HAZARDS are seen in propane burner. rapid eye movement phase of sleep leading to Noise from FORGES and FOUNDRIES cause loss of insomia. Other metals with toxic effects, known to hearing and disorder in central nervous system. occur as pollutants in some localised areas are cadmium, Be, Pb, Cu, Zn, Cd, Fe, Ni etc. Lead CONCLUSION. causes Plumbism in human beings'. Various HEALTH HAZARDS are observed in persons Vanadium levels in the environment are rising who are regularly exposed to different kinds of as a consequence of the burning of vanadium pollutants dust, fume, gaseous pollutants, containing fossil fuels and of mining and processing noise, heat in FORGES and FOUNDRIES of Iron & Steel in order to meet growing needs for the metal in and other manufacturing industries.

10 There is urgent industries. Both acute and chronic effects of need for development of an eco-friendly cokeless o c c u pa t i o n a l e x p o s u r e t o V c o m p o u n d s a r e cupola, to minimize pollution. Emission standards manifested in the respiratory tract by irritation, should be followed by different FOUNDRIES . Workers including bronchitis and pneumonia. should use appropriate insulated gloves, shoes, goggles and clothing to protect against heat and Some studies on HEALTH HAZARDS of dust, fume, radiations. Industrial safety officers/ environ gaseous pollutants, noise heavy metals etc from managers should tackle environmental problems of f o u n d r y, f o r g e o f I r o n & St e e l a n d o t h e r the industries. The environmental, HEALTH and safety manufacturing industries have been reported management must play a strategic role in Risk of bladder cancer in foundry workers organisational governance, environmental risk, and (Gaertner 7 2002).