Occupational Exposure to Infrared Radiation in Aluminum and Cast-Iron Foundries in Zanjan, Iran

The harmful effects of the long-term ocular exposure to cumulative levels of infrared radiation (IR) in glassblowing and foundries have been recognized since the late 19th century. These effects include cataracts, keratitis, and chronic dry eye problems. Therefore, infrared radiation measurements are critical and need to be assessed regularly in the industries and workplaces where there are high temperature furnaces, such as in the glass industries and foundries. However, IR measurement is not very simple, especially when the range of interest is one in which radiometers are not available, as for the IR-B and IR-C ranges, and commonly available radiometers have a limited sensitivity range. The present article deduce a calculation method for evaluating of IR irradiance based on Planck's radiation law for black body radiation and using an IR detector sensitive in the spectral range 750-1150 nm. Based on this method, workers exposure was assessed to all harmful wavelength ranges of IR radiation in three foundries (two aluminums and one cast-iron). The results suggested that IR-A and IR-B radiation (wavelength from 770 nm to 3000 nm) in the mentioned foundries were more than TLVs (threshold limit values) given by ACGIH. There were significant risks of health hazards due to IR radiation exposure. Personal protective equipment should be used in order to prevent serious damage to eyes and skin, and selection of appropriate equipment should be on an individual basis due to different radiation exposure.