Industrial hygiene survey in an aluminium reduction plant in India

Abstract

This study reports a work-environmental assessment and workers' exposure in a major prebake type aluminium smelter in India. Levels of known health hazards in and near the main smelting operations viz., the Potroom, the Carbon area, the Butt section, the Rodding shop, the Bath preparing area and the Casthouse were measured. Dustiness in general was high to excessively high. Mean levels of respirable dust (PM1o) in air in the three dustiest areas were 24.07 mg/m3 in the Carbon areas, 27.57 mg/m3 in the Bath preparing and 4.44 mg/m3 in the Rodding shop. 40-60% of the particles were less than 5 μm in size. 0.5-2.82% particulate fluoride was obtained in the size fraction 0.4-4.7 urn of the Potroom air. Naturally, exposures to total dusts were very high in these processes. The background levels of NOx and SO23 and fluorides (gaseous and particulate) were found to be within the prescribed Indian Standards. Higher exposures to gaseous and particulate fluoride, 3.85 and 6.53 mg/m3 respectively, were observed among the Rodding shop workers. The levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were deemed to be excessive in the Carbon area. Measurements of heat stress were made in winter and were found to be lower than the prescribed limit.