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Welding activities: is EBC a reliable indicator for assessing metal exposure or early biological effects? A
Veruscka Leso1, Salvatore Della Notte1, Andrea Spinazzè2
1Department of Public Health, University of Naples 'Federico II', Via S. Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy.
Journal of Breath Research
|June 11, 2026
Summary
Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) effectively monitors welding exposures, detecting elevated metal levels and early biological responses in workers. Further standardization is needed for widespread use in occupational health.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Environmental Medicine
- Biomonitoring
Background:
- Welding aerosols pose respiratory risks due to particulate matter and metal fumes.
- Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) offers a non-invasive method for pulmonary biomonitoring.
- Assessing welders' exposure and biological responses is crucial for worker safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the literature on EBC for exposure and effect biomonitoring in welders.
- To evaluate the suitability of EBC as a matrix for assessing occupational exposure in welding.
- To identify early biological effects detectable through EBC analysis.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature review of PubMed, Scopus, and ISI Web of Science.
- Inclusion criteria applied to select relevant studies on welders and EBC.
- Analysis of findings regarding metal concentrations and biomarkers in EBC.
Main Results:
- EBC is a suitable matrix for assessing occupational exposure in welding.
- Increased metal concentrations (Mn, Ni, Fe, Cr) and post-shift levels were found in welders.
- Associations between dust exposure and EBC metal levels were observed, even at low exposures.
- EBC shows potential for detecting early-effect biomarkers (oxidative stress, inflammation).
Conclusions:
- EBC is a promising tool for biomonitoring welders' exposure to metals and assessing early biological effects.
- Standardization of EBC collection, storage, and analysis is essential for reliable occupational health research.
- Further research on EBC kinetics and metal toxicokinetics is needed to fully establish its utility.
Keywords:
biomarkers of effectbiomarkers of exposureexhaled breath condensateoccupational health risksrisk assessmentrisk managementweldingMore Related Videos
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