Assessment of the health risk related to exposure to ultrafine, fine, and total particulates and metals in a metal finishing plant

The materials and byproducts of the processes used in the metal finishing industry are released as particle contaminants into the air in the workplace. The present study aimed to determine the concentrations and size distributions of these particles and of elements chromium, nickel, copper, manganese, cobalt, and lead (Cr, Ni, Cu, Mn, Co, and Pb, respectively) in a metal finishing industry and evaluate their potential health risks. Particles that are airborne from the dipping baths in the plant were sampled using a Sioutas cascade impactor at five different size fractions (PM >2.5 , PM 1.0–2.5 , PM 0.5–1.0 , PM 0.25–0.5 , PM