Sulfuric Acid Mist: Generation, Suppression, Health Aspects, and Analysis

Abstract Sulfuric acid mist, which is generated in electrowinning tankhouses, poses corrosion problems to the tankhouse structure and adverse health effects to employees. The literature pertaining to the generation of acid mist from bursting bubbles as film and jet droplets is reviewed. In addition, various methods of suppressing acid mist, such as the use of surfactants, balls, and hoods, are presented and discussed. The occupational exposure limits in various countries are presented and the commonly accepted methods of sampling acid mist are reviewed. Data on acid mist from a survey of 25 zinc and copper tankhouses are summarized. Keywords: acid mistbubbleselectrowinningexposure limitsjet dropsmist suppression ACKNOWLEDGMENT The authors acknowledge the assistance provided by the sponsoring companies of the AMIRA-P705B Electrowinning in Base Metals Project, who supplied data for the survey. Notes a 8-h day/48-h week. b Correction by altitude if EW plant is located more than 1000 m above sea level, maximum air velocity cannot exceed 1 m/s (Chilean Ministry of Health 1999). c Compliance by member states of the European Union was required by December 18, 2011. d Sulfuric acid mist is not listed in the table of tolerance limits (Ministry of Labor and Employment, Brasil 2008) and thus the ACGIH TLV are used (Section 9.3.5.1 in Ministry of Labor and Employment, Brasil 1995). a used for current densities >350 A/m2. b used for current densities <350 A/m2. *Under construction or planned. a Sampled for thoracic fraction using Parallel Particle Impactor (PPI), analyzed for Zn and S via ICP.