Assessment methods for nanoparticles in the workplace

Details

• Personal Author:
  O'Shaughnessy PT
• Description:
  A typical industrial hygiene analysis of workplace dust exposure does not include instrumentation to detect particles in the nanometer size range. The objectives of the research project were to: (1) identify and evaluate methods to measure airborne nanoparticle concentrations; (2) characterize nanoparticles to assess their surface and bulk physical and chemical properties; and (3) determine the collection efficiencies of commonly used respirator filters when challenged with nanoparticles. The researchers compared a surface area analyzer, handheld condensation particle counter (CPC), photometer, electrostatic precipitator, scanning mobility particle sizer, and an optical particle counter (OPC). They analyzed Fe oxides at high and medium concentrations; TiO2 at high, medium, and low concentrations; and carbon nanotubes. The results indicate a need to apply a shape factor to make direct correlations between instruments, especially when comparing among instruments with different units, such as count, surface area, or mass concentrations. This information will be useful for comparing results obtained by different instruments and for choosing an appropriate instrument for evaluation of nanoparticles in the workplace. In field sampling at a nanostructured lithium titanate facility, the researchers found that material handling of lithium titanate dispersed this material as large particles (> 1 um); any nano-sized particles observed were mainly associated with other sources, such as diesel forklifts and welding and grinding operations. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aerosols Air Pollutants, Occupational Dust Environmental Monitoring Occupational Health Particulate Matter Safety
• Keywords:
  Air-samples Airborne-dusts Analytical-instruments Analytical-methods Analytical-processes Dust-measurement Measurement-equipment Nanotechnology Particle-aerodynamics Particle-counters Particulate-dust Respirable-dust Sampling-methods Testing-equipment

  More +
• Publisher:
  Environmental Protection Agency
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Proceedings
• Place as Subject:
  Iowa ; OSHA Region 7
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20041470
• Citation:
  Proceedings of the Interagency Workshop on the Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology, September 5-7. 2007, Washington, DC. Washington, DC: Environmental Protection Agency, 2007 Sep; :28, 133-139
• Email:
  patrick-oshaughnessy@uiowa.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2007
• Performing Organization:
  University of Iowa
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Proceedings of the Interagency Workshop on the Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology, September 5-7. 2007, Washington, DC
• End Date:
  20080630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:9029d7ae8cb391495ec5bc093fa99aee49b72a7eb75553ebf53b99417ac2193222d59cb55371dbc8e7f02785252a9b470ea34f28c115c034ebecb311937dfe86
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/194036/cdc_194036_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 570.21 KB ]