Understanding the Changing Exposure and Toxicity Profile of Engineered Nanomaterials from Production to Application

Details

• Personal Author:
  Erdely A
• Description:
  Engineered nanomaterials, because of their electrical, chemical, and thermal properties, are being incorporated into existing, everyday products, with broad applications to medicine, electronics, composites, and construction. From smart phones, to water purification, to cosmetics, to thermoplastics (e.g., toys, containers), human exposure to engineered nanomaterials and their applications is inevitable. It is critical that interpretations of potential toxicity along the product value chain be exposure-informed as TSCA requires a risk evaluation at all points along the life cycle of a chemical. Properly understanding and developing risk profiles for workers and end-users are necessary to prevent unintended health consequences. Engineered nanomaterial research initially focused on as-produced (pristine) material with little attention to downstream applications. Given the broad applications of nanomaterials into existing and emerging technologies, a more expansive characterization of exposure was needed to understand potential health risks. To accomplish this goal, a multidisciplinary team with private sector partnerships was needed. This work will describe a comprehensive case study evaluating carbon nanotubes, which represent a highly visible engineered nanomaterial due to the significant toxicity observed following in vivo evaluations. The work evaluates the changing toxicity and exposure characteristics along the product value chain from the as-produced material, to post-production modification, to matrix (or product) incorporation. The results clearly indicate that exposure and toxicity, and thus potential risks to workers and end users can be quite different from product to product. Understanding the changing exposure profile of engineered nanomaterials along the product value chain is critical for determining potential human health risks and overcoming risk-driven concerns that are potential barriers to increased commercialization. The case study also provides a framework and recommendations for evaluating other materials and scenarios, develops reproducible methods, and highlights new, or alterations to existing, methodology to characterize exposure and toxicity at different points along the product value chain. The comprehensive approach of combining toxicity and exposure assessments is necessary to provide direct inference to potential consumer risks. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Case Reports Chemistry Hazardous Substances Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Toxicology
• Keywords:
  Analytical Methods Analytical Processes Carbon Nanotubes Case Studies Chemical Hazards Chemical Processing Chemical Safety CNT Emerging Technology Exposure Assessment Hazard Communication Health Hazards Health Protection Humans Industrial Processes Information Dissemination Injury Prevention Medical Research Nanomaterials Nanotechnology Nanotoxicology Partnership Protective Measures Recommendations Risk Analysis Risk Factors Risk Management Toxic Effects Toxic Materials Toxic Substances Control Act TSCA Workers

  More +
• ISSN:
  1096-6080
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  Maryland ; OSHA Region 3 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  HELD - Health Effects Laboratory Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  168
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20055075
• Citation:
  Toxicologist 2019 Mar; 168(1):500
• CAS Registry Number:
  Carbon nanotubes (CAS RN 308068-56-6)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2019
• NORA Priority Area:
  Manufacturing
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Source Full Name:
  The Toxicologist. Society of Toxicology 58th Annual Meeting and ToxExpo, March 10-14, 2019, Baltimore, Maryland
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:63f444aa5824d1714a144adbe26071c0c95056ac2622c67b9bb48d2a6cd3f51279edd7a410820a215f618ff6d24b84be55955fb1ee4724f948a4306df12b8aae
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/217452/cdc_217452_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 865.83 KB ]