Quantifying relevant exposure determinants and conditions of use for welding emissions

CoU quantification was successfully demonstrated for total welding fume emissions. CoU results can be applied for welding processes where emissions are less than specified for the operational conditions specified here. Only total fume emissions were considered here, which may not be the limiting factor for risk; volatile and individual metal emissions were not considered. The approach applies to point sources for which emissions are adequately characterized. CoU assessment can be used to develop emission labelling and process specific safety actions. Compared to the traditional case-specific approach, modeling using this general approach will significantly improve cost-effectiveness.