. 2012 Jun 15;56(5):557–567. doi: 10.1093/annhyg/mes025

Table 2.

Exposure to respirable and inhalable welding fume and to UFP in welders (excluding users of PAPRs).

Personal measurements		Inhalable particles (GSP), mg m⁻³				Inhalable particles (PGP-EA), mg m⁻³				Respirable particles (PGP-EA), mg m⁻³
		n	n _<LOD ^a	Median	IQR	n	n _<LOD ^a	Median	IQR	n	n _<LOD ^a	Median	IQR
Total		177	27	1.51	<0.65, 4.50	215	20	2.48	1.10, 6.81	215	65	1.29	<0.45, 4.01
GMAW		62	2	3.65	1.80, 5.69	78	1	4.41	2.36, 6.36	78	9	2.08	1.20, 3.78
FCAW		22	0	8.02	2.83, 12.50	42	0	12.90	7.98, 15.50	42	0	7.11	4.53, 10.10
TIG		64	22	<0.58	<0.42, 0.93	66	17	<0.96	<0.77, 1.41	66	47	<0.42	<0.36, <0.51
SMAW		17	3	1.12	0.52, 3.55	17	1	1.65	1.17, 2.93	17	8	<0.49	<0.45, 1.85
Subgroup with UFP measurements	Particle size (nm)	Stationary measurements				Stationary measurements				Personal measurements
		UFP, number concentration (x1000 cm⁻³)				Respirable particles (mg m⁻³)				Respirable particles (mg m⁻³)
		n	n _<LOD ^a	Median	IQR	n	n _<LOD ^a	Median	IQR	n	n _<LOD ^a	Median	IQR
Total	14–673	33	—	124.6	100.8, 161.2	31	4	0.93	0.54, 1.60	31	12	1.37	<0.41, 5.58
	14–100	33	—	67.2	47.2, 96.6
GMAW	14–673	13	—	126.8	108.5, 167.0	13	0	1.00	0.74, 1.53	13	4	1.86	<0.43, 3.78
	14–100	13	—	63.3	52.5, 88.2
FCAW	14–673	10	—	122.3	97.5, 140.7	10	0	1.24	0.83, 7.42	10	2	6.23	1.37, 7.08
	14–100	10	—	49.3	43.7, 77.7
TIG	14–673	6	—	151.3	124.6, 181.5	6	3	<0.21	<0.13, 0.75	6	4	<0.40	<0.34, 0.70
	14–100	6	—	109.5	96.2, 156.8
SMAW	14–673	4	—	91.3	56.6, 143.4	2	1	<0.91	<0.18, 1.63	2	2	<0.54	<0.49, <0.58
	14–100	4	—	53.6	40.8, 76.5

N _<LOD, number of observations below the limit of determination.