From constructing buildings to manufacturing ships, welding is the structural backbone to numerous industries. With over one hundred welding techniques, primarily driven by the base metals, filler rods, electrodes, and environmental factors, welding is a major process used in industry, commerce, and service sectors. The focus of this research is to understand the fumes generated by the Tungsten Inert-Gas (TIG) welding on Aluminum-Lithium Alloy (Al-Li Alloy), estimate applicable emission factors, and identify the heavy metal concentrations of lead, manganese, and chromium. Although there are numerous metals and various welding procedures this study will focus on three main factors: 1. Base metals comprised of Aluminum Lithium Alloy 2195 and 2219 an agehardened copper containing aluminum alloy 2. Weld wire 4043 comprised of aluminum silicone and 2319 comprised of copper silicone 3. Weld techniques of Variable Polarity Plasma Arc (VVPA) and Tungsten inertgas (TIG).

Welding is a metal joining process widely used in many manufacturing facilities around the world. It involves the process of heating the base and filler metals to a high temperature that leads to the formation of fumes. Welding emissions consist of gaseous pollutants and micron and sub-micron particles consisting of different heavy metals. Health risks associated with exposures to weld fume is well recognized in the literature. This research evaluates emissions and emission factors applicable to gas metal arc welding (GMAW) on AH 36 (mild steel) and 316 L (stainless steel). Emission factors evaluated consisted, total fume, chromium, cobalt, lead, manganese, and nickel. A weld fume chamber is used to capture the welding fumes onto a filter and then further analyzed to quantify the total fume and heavy metal emissions. Critical operating parameters such as current, voltage, shielding gas, welding speed, and contact tube to work distance (CTWD) were considered while evaluating emissions and emission factors. The parameters with greater influence on emissions are selected, and then the heavy metal emissions are quantified by varying those parameters using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) and portable XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence) analyzer. The heavy metal results from the ICP-AES and XRF are compared to explore the feasibility of using XRF analyzer in quantifying the heavy metals in welding fumes. Using the heavy metal emissions, the lifetime carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks are evaluated for the GMAW process. The mild steel (MS) and stainless steel (SS) statistical analysis results indicate current and voltage are most influencing parameters in generating the fumes in GMAW. This research found a significant linear relationship between ICP-AES and XRF heavy metal results. The lifetime carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks results indicate high potential health risks if not properly managed.