Characterisation of workers' exposure in a Russian nickel refinery

In support of a feasibility study of reproductive and developmental health among females employed in the Monchegorsk (Russia) nickel refinery, persona l exposure and biological monitoring assessments were conducted. The inhala ble aerosol fraction was measured and characterised by chemical speciation and particle-size distribution measurements. Unexpected findings were that: (i), pyrometallurgical working environments had significant levels of wate r-soluble nickel; (ii), significant exposure to cobalt occurred for the nic kel workers; (iii), particles of size corresponding to the thoracic and res pirable fractions appeared to be virtually absent in most of the areas surv eyed. The water-soluble fraction is judged to be primarily responsible for the observed urinary nickel and cobalt concentrations. It is concluded rela tive to current international occupational-exposure limits for nickel in st ir, and because of the high nickel concentrations observed in urine, that t he Monchegorsk nickel workers are heavily exposed. The implication of this finding for follow-up epidemiological work is alluded to.