Zinc Dust

[The Armourer]

I was just wondering if it was dangerous to breath in Zinc dust. I was wondering about this because i often use galvanized sheet steel, and when I polish it I want to be safe. Thanks.

[jeremy k]

Run away, far and fast.

[Glenn]

If you can see it, taste it, or smell it, it is not air and is bad for the lungs.

 

Look for health and safety threads on the site concerning zinc. If you have to play with zinc dust, use large fans to bring in large volumns of fresh air. Wear full PPE designed to protect the lungs and skin.

[Nobody Special]

MSDS says that yes, it's dangerous to inhale. I wondered if it would cross the blood barrier as easily as vapors, and apparantly the answer is yes.

 

http://www.hummelcroton.com/msds/msdsp/zn_p.html

 

You want section 3, hazards identification. I've only had fever from casting, but wouldn't care to repeat it.

 

Also may apparantly burn if ignited by something. Huh.

[ThomasPowers]

As a general rule "dust" often burns: dust from grain can explode massive concrete silos, dust form cotton processing can wipe out factories, even soap dust can do a fuel-air explosion. If it can oxidize it can cause problems.

As Glenn says: "If you can see it, taste it, or smell it, it is not air and is bad for the lungs."

And somethings, like CO, you can't see, taste or smell and is still not air and bad for you!

[The Armourer]

Up until now I have been giving a sheet of galvanized steel a brushing with steel wool and have not noticed any adverse health effects. From now on I will use a mask to keep out the dust. I barely scrape any off, do you think that it is still dangerous? i have learned to love using the galvanzed steel sheeting for making armour wihtout heat, in my damp climate the best stainless steel rusts quickly. The galvanized steel looks good if you just give it a light steel wool brushing. As I said before, I have not felt any of the common effects of Metal Fume Fever, are there other effects that I should be worried about? Thanks!

[macbruce]

 I have not felt any of the common effects of Metal Fume Fever,

 

Unless you BURN it, you won't. Zinc is pretty user friendly stuff and I've installed kitchen counter tops of zinc sheet, totally safe. That said, I sure wouldn't breathe fine particles of the stuff like when you buff it with scotchbrite or steel wool  for extended periods.

The worst dust I've encountered comes from bronze/brass, THAT will mess your lungs up big time and it doesn't take much. My father in law helped me once buffing/finishing silicon bronze and he refused to wear the dust masks I offered. He suffered for days but came through ok and  was a believer after that.

[Glenn]

From all I have read, the exposure is accumulative.

 

You add a little bit here,  a little bit there and a little bit more until the body reaches its limit. THEN you feel the total exposure(s).

[The Armourer]

Thanks, I will be more careful with galvanized material. Would a cheap dust mask do the job?

[Glenn]

Would a cheap dust mask do the job?

 

A cheap dust mask will do a cheap job of filtering the air you breathe. A professional quality mask designed for the task at hand will do a much better job, and provide you much cleaner air to breathe. 

 

Compare the cost difference between the two masks to the cost of a stay in the hospital.  Add in the lost time and lost wages during the hospital stay.

 

Your lungs, your call.

[The Armourer]

Thanks, I think that I will get a professional mask, for the next little while I don't think I can get one, but by Christmas I should get one. Thanks all for your advice and wisdom.

[ironwolfforgeca]

Graeson if you're stainless steel is rusting it not true stainless ! it has some iron in it ,more than likely 304 ss

take a magnet to it if you feel any magnetism than it not true SS

you want 308 SS food grade any old ss table / shelf around for stock ? to cut up most are 308 but ck

 

STEVE'S Welding & Fab

 

 

PS -- ware gloves I am not sure ?? if  Zinc can be absorb through the skin or not -- but zinc is not good !

         Metal poison is a concern !  

 

 

This poster is mistaken, and this is not true, quite a few grades of stainless steel are magentic. Please check facts before pushing rumors, Also stainless will rust given the right contitions..

[ianinsa]

What????????   Where did you get that from? 316s/s is one of the best there is and its 'more' magnetic than 304/303 & 308/309, now go check your knives and forks with a magnet ! 400 & 200 series are mostly magnetic and are definitely s/s . Any stainless steel knife that is any good is magnetic. It is important to note that thar contamination with it on is the most frequent cause of rust on stainless steel. 

[The Armourer]

Thanks for the gloves advice, after wet working the material I had a hard tim getting the metal smell off of my hands, I will wear gloves from now on. Regarding the steel, I some snow found its way into my containers, I guess from having the door open while snowblowing with the door open. Even without snow on it my shop is very damp and things patina very rapidly, steel rusts quickly and copper gets a decent patina in a few days, it turns a dirty and dark red.

[Glenn]

Check for any source of acid fumes.

[ThomasPowers]

Stainless steel may need passivation and of course contamination from working stainless with regular steel tooling can be an issue

[ironwolfforgeca]

ianinsa  Thank You for you're in put on SS you got me thinking :o the ss I weld on is for fishing boats & food prep / tables

its non magnetic & does not rust even in salt water unless theirs an acid involved 

now saying that I am going to have to take a magnet to my 308-&-316 Tig rods & knife's never done that ?

as for forks I have junk  LOL

 

my rule of thumb I don't know everything & what I think I know mite be wrong

BUT I like to learn more :) ! 

[ianinsa]

A pleasure mate, tie your magnet to a piece of string and 'wave' the metal next to it and watch for movement, 316 is supposed to be non magnetic but the magnet 'moves' more for it than for 304 so we use it to tell the difference when unsure as we often have both.

[ptree]

316 and all of the 300 series stainless steels will be magnetic after work hardening. In the fully solution annealed state not magnetic.

If you stainless steel is rusting it is not stainless or has been made non stainless by one of several factors. Did you steel wool it to polish it? that will impregnate the surface with plain steel which will rust. Did you hammer form it with regular steel tools? same thing. Did you heat it to above say 1650F without a water quench from hot? that too will cause 300 SS to rust. Did you sand or grind plain steels where the swarf landed on the stainless?

 

As for zinc and breathing dust Glenn well summed up the approach to breathing stuff that is not air.

As for cumulative buildup zinc is not on that list. The body excretes it. Still will give you zinc fever if you breath too much.

[Stephen Jones]

Ive just read this and now im a bit paranoid. When i was younger i worked in a steel mill and part of the job was cutting galvi sheet steel and making various little slots and slits. I used to come home dirtier that an dirty thing on a dirty things dirty day.  Should i be worried. this was 30 years back though.

[ThomasPowers]

Zinc probably not, manganese and other things...perhaps.

[Frosty]

Stephan: Zinc is a necessary mineral nutrient, without zinc, zinc oxide to be specific we wouldn't live long. Our system will absorb what it needs and shed excess. We aren't supposed to breath zinc oxide smoke though and excess smoke is BAD for us. So long as it isn't a large overdose or we aren't sensitive or allergic we'll flush it from our lungs via normal physical processes. We'll clean it out via mucus a snotty nose, or hacking phlem if it's a serious over exposure.

Unless a person is sensitive (read mildly allergic) to allergic low expsures to zinc or zinc oxide flush out of your system without harm. However if you expose yourself to heavily, especially to the water soluble zinc oxide form by breathing it you can put yourself in the hospital or worse. A well known and beloved old timer blacksmith Paw Paw Wilson not only seriously exposed himself but resisted getting medical attention and died from it. /p>

Saw cutting and grinding galvanized steel isn't much of a health risk. Torch cutting and welding galvanized needs to be done with proper breathing gear or suffer the risks.

My humble opinion is you're probably fine Stephan, zinc is NOT a heavy metal, it can NOT cause heavy metal poisoning. You'd be sick almost like morning sickness later that day or the next morning if you were getting a significant dose.

Read the MSDS for  more specific information. My opinion is just that, anecdotal opinion. I spent years welding galvanized stock and studied on it to MY satisfaction. I acknowledge the fact some people are sensitive or outright allergic to any number of things zinc can be on the list.

Do what I did study ANY haz mat you wish to work with to YOUR satisfaction. It's the only way to be as sure as we can be.

Frosty The Lucky.

[yahoo2]

You'd be sick almost like morning sickness later that day or the next morning if you were getting a significant dose.

Morning sickness Is there something you are not telling us Frosty ?

 

[ThomasPowers]

While it's generally not fatal; after some doses you may start to regret that?  I've had several friends suffer it: one a 19 year old healthy kid was in the hospital for several days with no health insurance; another was an old professional welder who's descriptions of it would get me banned for life if I posted them here.  As it's something that can be avoided; I've avoided it and hope to keep on doing so.

Note that water too is essential to our wellbeing; but too much ingested the wrong way is a titanic issue!

[ianinsa]

I love the way Thomas put it . Yup, those folk on the titanic that ingested too much water probably DID SEE IT AS A PROBLEM.