Risk assessment and risk management of nanomaterials in the workplace: translating research to practice

Details

• Personal Author:
  Geraci, Charles L. ; Kuempel, Eileen D. ; Schulte, Paul A.
• Description:
  In the last decade since the rise in occupational safety and health (OSH) research focusing on nanomaterials, some progress has been made in generating the health effects and exposure data needed to perform risk assessment and develop risk management guidance. Yet, substantial research gaps remain, as do challenges in the translation of these research findings to OSH guidance and workplace practice. Risk assessment is a process that integrates the hazard, exposure, and dose-response data to characterize risk in a population (e.g. workers), in order to provide health information needed for risk management decision-making. Thus, the research priorities for risk assessment are those studies that will reduce the uncertainty in the key factors that influence the estimates. Current knowledge of OSH in nanotechnology includes the following: (i) nanomaterials can be measured using standard measurement methods (respirable mass or number concentration), (ii) workplace exposures to nanomaterials can be reduced using engineering controls and personal protective equipment, and (iii) current toxicity testing and risk assessment methods are applicable to nanomaterials. Yet, to ensure protection of workers' health, research is still needed to develop (i) sensitive and quantitative measures of workers' exposure to nanomaterials, (ii) validation methods for exposure controls, and (iii) standardized criteria to categorize hazard data, including better prediction of chronic effects. This article provides a state-of-the-art overview on translating current hazard research data and risk assessment methods for nanomaterials to the development and implementation of effective risk management guidance. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Dust Epidemiology Hazardous Substances Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Particulate Matter Personal Protective Equipment Respiratory System Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Toxicology

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• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Hazard Assessment Chronic-exposure Dose-response Exposure-levels Exposure-limits Hazards Health-hazards Nanomaterials Nanotechnology Occupational Exposure Occupational Exposure Limit Occupational Health Particulates Personal-protective-equipment Respirable-dust Respirable Dust Respiration Risk-factors Risk Assessment Risk Management

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• ISSN:
  0003-4878
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  EID - Education and Information Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  491-505
• Volume:
  56
• Issue:
  5
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20041105
• Citation:
  Ann Occup Hyg 2012 Jul; 56(5):491-505
• Contact Point Address:
  Eileen D. Kuemple, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Education and Information Division, Nanotechnology Research Center, Cincinnati, OH 45226
• Email:
  ekuempel@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2012
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Annals of Occupational Hygiene
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:2f28bc899750f19116a9aad57e5720b7ef532789eb73d593c8c0f7ab246a723150aec2b46f827a27f4b76e03e0458239fd5668594de5371647e04d78e067c87f
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/193749/cdc_193749_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 992.16 KB ]