Lead Contamination – Sources And Remedies

When lead, a toxic heavy metal, is present in the environment at concentrations that could be detrimental to people, animals, and ecosystems, it results in a severe environmental and health concern. There are many ways that lead can enter the environment, including industrial processes, lead-based paints, contaminated soil, and old water pipes. Here are some crucial details regarding lead contamination.

Health risks from lead contamination

Lead exposure can have a negative impact on a person’s health, especially in young children and pregnant women. Even at low concentrations, lead exposure can harm internal systems including the kidneys, liver, and nervous system and result in developmental delays, learning difficulties, impaired cognitive function, behavioural issues, and more. Exposure to lead in adults can result in neurological abnormalities, high blood pressure, and problems during pregnancy.

Sources of lead contamination

• Lead-based paint – The Indian government passed regulations in 2016 that set a 90 parts per million limit for lead levels in paints. However, there are still issues with adoption, particularly in small and medium-sized businesses. Additionally, lead-based paint in older structures may crack or degrade over time, generating lead flakes and dust.
• Industrial activities – A number of businesses, including mining, smelting, battery production, and lead-acid battery recycling, have the potential to leak lead particles and contaminate the soil, air, and water around them.
• Soil contamination – Lead contamination in the soil, particularly in metropolitan areas or close to industrial locations, can be caused by lead-based paint, industrial pollutants, or previous use of lead petrol.
• Water pipes – When the water has corrosive qualities, old plumbing systems with lead pipes or fixtures can contaminate drinking water.

Prevention and remedies for lead contamination

• Following the regulations – To address lead contamination, many nations have put legislation in place. These rules could include limitations on the use of lead in consumer goods, recommendations for safely removing lead paint, and specifications for lead levels in drinking water. It’s crucial to get advice from regional health authorities, environmental organizations, or lead remediation specialists to comprehend and follow any applicable rules and laws in your city or state.
• Personal Protective Equipment – You must make sure that any employees who might come into contact with lead are wearing proper personal protective equipment, such as gloves, coveralls, respirators, and safety glasses. The level of exposure and particular requirements should be taken into consideration while choosing any such equipment.
• Wet cleaning methods – It is essential to use moist cleaning techniques like wet mopping, wet cloth cleaning, and vacuuming in order to collect and remove lead dust.
• Regular cleaning and maintenance – Routine cleaning and maintenance procedures can guarantee that lead-contaminated surfaces, equipment, and ventilation systems are cleaned and maintained appropriately, thus lessening the chances of lead dust building up and spreading.
• Engineering controls – It is essential to put in place engineering controls to reduce lead dust production in the first place. This can involve dust collection systems, local exhaust ventilation systems, or lead-containing material containment enclosures.

Oil Mist Collector – For businesses that have contamination problems as a result of metal production procedures for lead goods and components, installing a mist collector may prove to be a wise decision. With the help of their hoods and duct systems, these collectors can filter and get rid of harmful lead oil mists. The Mistkiller from Powertech Pollution Controls is a high-efficiency centrifugal working oil mist collector that preserves a healthy environment by capturing and regulating most types of mist.

For more information, visit: https://www.powertechpollutioncontrols.com/

Metal Coatings – Increasing The Danger Of Welding Fumes

Welding fumes comprise of the oxides of the metals in the materials being welded. These metal oxides, which are released during welding, can bring about a number of health dangers to the welder and those around, if there is no protection by personal protective equipment, or inadequate ventilation and fume removal systems. This is why it is recommended that there is proper ventilation in the welding workspace, and a welding fume extractor India installed. also, every welder is advised to wear personal protective gear like goggles, face masks, leather gloves, leather shoes, and more.

Metals producing hazardous fumes

Different flux compositions, which can result in bodily complaints and serious diseases, are to blame for the risks. Here are a few examples of welding fume compositions –

• Steel welding produces iron, along with minor levels of other metals like chromium, nickel, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, titanium, cobalt, and copper
• Stainless steel welding produces chromium or nickel, along with iron
• Nickel alloys produce nickel and iron
• Silica or fluoride-containing fluxes produce amorphous silica, metallic silicates, and fluoride fumes

Metal coatings posing more danger

If the metal itself wasn’t enough to cause so much harm, the additional coatings over the metals can pose even more threat to the welder, and those in the vicinity. When welding a coated metal or a metal with residues, the fumes can be much more hazardous. Some such harmful coatings or residues include oils, metalworking fluids, rust preventatives, cadmium plating, plastic coating, paint coating, zinc coating, and lead oxide primer coating.

Taking off the coatings first

When any of the extra elements mentioned above are present, the metal particles and metallic oxide combine with them, lingering in the air for several hours. It is thus advised to clean the air before, during, and after the welding process. Also, it is recommended to remove all the coatings and residues before beginning the welding process. Removing the coatings will not only reduce the dangers during and after welding, but will also enhance the welding quality itself. Special products can be used for stripping off these coatings, or wet slurry vacuum removal procedures may be used. It is important to adhere to the recommended safety precautions, and put on the required personal protective equipment during the coating removal process, based on risk assessments, manufacturer’s guidelines, and potential exposures.

As you can see, welding fume is a composition of a variety of metallic oxides, fluorides, and silicates. So, it is very important to get rid of all the coatings and residues, keep the space well-ventilated, and wear protective gear while performing the welding procedure. But, at the same time, it is also important to install a genuine welding fume extractor India within the premises, which can constantly eliminate any welding fumes being generated. One fine example is the Fumekiller from Powertech Pollution Controls, which is a high-efficiency two-stage electrostatic precipitator, combined with electrostatic filtration technology, designed to capture and control fumes, mist, smoke, and fine dust produced by welding, soldering, and other similar processes.

For more information, visit our website: https://www.powertechpollutioncontrols.com/

Installing An Extraction Arm Within Your Workplace

An arm system is a special installation utilised in the workplace to extract fumes from a line of welding booths, together with welding extraction systems. Before the contaminant can enter the worker’s breathing zone, an extraction arm can catch aerosols or any other airborne pollutants at the emission site. The suction hood can be placed with complete ease and flexibility directly at the source of the fume generation, capturing fumes close to the source to prevent them from spreading throughout the workplace and negatively harming everyone who works there. Installing several arm systems at your workspace allows you to autonomously position each arm so that it is close to each welding fume source.

Which industries may require such extraction arms?

Extraction arms are available in a range of lengths and radiuses, to suit individual applications. The versatility of such systems and their configurations make them ideal for where work is done in predefined spaces, as well as for larger installations, where workpieces may vary greatly in size. The common industries and applications for such extraction arms include aluminium welding, steel welding, copper alloy welding, magnesium welding, nickel welding, buffing, polishing, core grinding, drilling, soldering, screen printing, pesticide manufacturing, plastic manufacturing, resin manufacturing, rubber manufacturing, soap manufacturing, animal food manufacturing, food packaging plants, jewellery manufacturing, chemical laboratories, forensic laboratories, electronics assembly lines, heavy equipment repairing shops, vehicle service shops, and many others.

Where can you get the best extractor arm?

One of the finest extractor arm you can choose to install is that which is manufactured by Powertech Pollution Controls, which is a highly useful accessory that is used with the most popularly used welding fume extractor India, trademarked as the “Fumekiller”. The extractor arm consists of two ducts made of aluminium or stainless steel, connected by flexible PVC hoses, and mounted on interconnected support rods with friction-loaded pivots. One end holds a suction hood, while the other being attached to a rotating hollow cylinder. The suction hood, the ducts, the host, and the rotating cylinder form a passage for the fumes that are to be removed. The suction hood can be moved manually 2 to 4 metres to the left or right, up or down, depending on the requirement. This system’s operating and maintenance costs are comparatively very low because every component is designed for dependable, secure, and effective use. By removing harmful airborne contaminants, these systems help create a safer and healthier working environment at a very low cost.

Criteria to consider before installation

It is crucial that you take into account a few fundamental factors before buying an extraction arm. The configuration of the extraction system you’ll require depends on a number of factors, including the processes you use, their intensity, how quickly contaminants build up, what kinds of contaminants they produce, how quickly airflow must move through the system to capture them, and the physical restrictions or protocols of your facility, such as its size, capacity, number of employees, internal pressure and temperature, etc. Before choosing a certain type of extraction system for your workplace, it is better to speak with an expert and go over all of these factors.

Website: https://www.powertechpollutioncontrols.com/