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dc.contributor.advisorThomas W. Eager.en_US
dc.contributor.authorBalmforth, Mikal Chad, 1971-en_US
dc.contributor.otherMassachusetts Institute of Technology. Technology and Policy Program.en_US
dc.date.accessioned2005-06-02T16:04:17Z
dc.date.available2005-06-02T16:04:17Z
dc.date.copyright2001en_US
dc.date.issued2001en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/17531
dc.descriptionThesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, Technology and Policy Program, 2001.en_US
dc.descriptionIncludes bibliographical references (leaves 61-65).en_US
dc.description.abstractThere are approximately 0.5 million full-time welders in the U.S., with even more workers welding intermittently. Over the past thirty years there has been increased interest in the effects of welding fume on the health of these workers. Manganese is an essential element in the making of all steel products and steel welding electrodes and is, therefore, present in fume that is generated during welding of these materials. Manganese is essential to humans in small amounts, but in larger amounts it is a neurotoxin and causes manganism, a disease with symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease. Manganese has been reported to cause adverse health effects in industries such as paint production, battery production, and manganese ore mining. Occupational exposure limits for manganese have been developed based on these industries, and the lowest limit, the TLV® established by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, is a source of concern to the welding industry. This thesis attempts to answer the question, "Is the current exposure limit for manganese feasible and does it make sense for the welding industry?" It does this by evaluating whether there is evidence of manganese harm to welders, and evaluating the issues associated with this topic. Calculations show that during an eight-hour shift at current acceptable standards, it is not possible for a welder to ingest enough manganese from the welding environment to cause manganism. There is also evidence that welding fume, which contains iron as well as manganese, carries its own antidote to manganism. A hypothesis suggests that manganese in welding fume, due to affects associated with iron, may not be transferred in harmful amounts across the blood-brain-barrier (BBB). Economic costs to industry would be substantial in meeting the lower exposure limit. The evidence suggests that, at the current permissible level of exposure to total welding fume, the risk of a welder contracting manganism is essentially zero and the economic costs that would be involved with the lower TLV® are not justified.en_US
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityby Mikal Chad Balmforth.en_US
dc.format.extent65 leavesen_US
dc.format.extent2281791 bytes
dc.format.extent2281599 bytes
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisherMassachusetts Institute of Technologyen_US
dc.rightsM.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.en_US
dc.rights.urihttp://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582
dc.subjectMaterials Science and Engineering.en_US
dc.subjectTechnology and Policy Program.en_US
dc.titleManganese and health in the welding environmenten_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
dc.description.degreeS.M.en_US
dc.contributor.departmentMassachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Materials Science and Engineering
dc.contributor.departmentMassachusetts Institute of Technology. Engineering Systems Division
dc.contributor.departmentTechnology and Policy Program
dc.identifier.oclc50676113en_US


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