Is it bad to inhale steel dust once?

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Today at school we were forced to go at some plumber class thing for 2 hours, during this time I had to weld copper pipes together and cut through steel pipes - They didn't give us dust masks or respirators or s**t. When I came tonight I used a nose tissue and the booges were all black colored and gritty. Will it have a bad effect on my lungs?

As a mechanic I have had a lifetime of such discoveries in my handkerchief. my face has been black from the use of a grinder, I am nearly 57 and can still climb stairs that leave the young ones breathless.
Lungs are self cleaning.

Most of the crap probably got stuck on your nose hairs or nose mucus. I remember sometimes getting that from making campfires and such.

happen a lot while sanding in wood shop with mask on.

As long as the pipes weren't wrapped with asbestos, you should be fine.

Probably one time is not going to kill you.
I inhaled silica gel up my nose a few times.

I doubt it. I've inhaled worse and I'm fine.

What were you using to cut the steel pipes?
We used chop saws with abrasive wheels when I was in school. Made a huge shower of sparks.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showt ... -unhealthy

the above link gives lots of opinions.

Aluminum dust is worse.

Eye protection is really important, at the very least wear a disposable mask, they are cheap, and act as a barrier to all but the finest of dust. You need a respirator with carbon filters for aerosols and solvents, plus ventilation (preferably a dedicated fume hood or chamber)

I'm sure I've inhaled my fair share of metal dust, and I'm relatively OK. I can't say I've ever welded pipes or anything like that before, I'm actually kind of jealous that they teach that sort of stuff at your school! I wish I had the chance to do cool s**t like that in junior high!

Now, that being said, I think it's quite stupid that they never gave you any sort of PPE (personal protective equipment). It's mandated by law here that workers use and have access to proper PPE. Do some research on work safety, and make a case to your school about it. Hopefully they at least gave you eye protection, as you would be risking welder's flash or chunks of metal in your eyes otherwise. A person's lungs can take a substantial amount of abuse, but the same can't really be said for your eyes.