Strategies to Assess Occupational Exposure to Airborne Nanoparticles: Systematic Review and Recommendations

Signage to Indicate the Presence of Engineered Nanomaterials in the Workplace: Lessons from a Trial Study That Led to Implementation in a Worksite

“…Ongoing efforts seek to fill the gaps with regard to occupational exposure to nanomaterials and OEL data, 6,8,9,16 but further work is needed to manage these risks in the near term.…”

“…With the rapid growth of nanotechnology, an overwhelming number of ENMs are produced annually. However, the potential that nanomaterials may be, in some cases, more toxic than their bulk counterparts is a concern. − Properties that can affect the toxicity of ENMs can include the reactivity, aspect ratio, tendency toward agglomeration, and surface area of these materials. − There is, however, sufficient heterogeneity in these properties among ENMs, and it is recommended to assess toxicity on an individual basis for each type of ENM. , Routes for potential uptake of ENMs include dermal, inhalation, oral, and ocular exposures . ENM uptake can specifically occur through the eyes, gastrointestinal tract, lungs, nasal cavity, and skin, after which these materials can enter the circulatory system and translocate to distal sites in the body. ,, Harmful effects have been observed for commonly used ENMs such as multiwalled carbon nanotubes, titanium dioxide, and some metallic nanoparticles .…”

“…Organizations around the world are developing protocols for safely using nanomaterials, but further work is needed to protect workers. Risk is generally defined as a combination of hazard and exposure factors. , Inhalation is the most likely route of exposure to ENMs in many workplaces but dermal, ocular, and oral routes can also present important pathways for exposure. − Due to the lack of necessary toxicity data and unknowns with regards to worker exposure, ,, a traditional assessment of risk is not currently possible for many occupational scenarios of handling ENMs in the workplace. ,− Even if there is appropriate data to generate an occupational exposure limit (OEL) for a given nanomaterial, OELs calculated by different methods can vary. − Alternative methods to traditional risk assessments such as control banding have been developed for scenarios where data is lacking, but these can differ in scope and applicability . Furthermore, research laboratories that frequently produce novel nanomaterials do not always have the necessary equipment and expertise to perform full risk assessments.…”

“…Furthermore, research laboratories that frequently produce novel nanomaterials do not always have the necessary equipment and expertise to perform full risk assessments. Ongoing efforts seek to fill the gaps with regard to occupational exposure to nanomaterials and OEL data, ,,, but further work is needed to manage these risks in the near term.…”