A Personal Sampler for Assessing Inhaled Nanoparticle Exposures [20111]

Details

• Personal Author:
  Volckens J
• Description:
  Engineered nanoparticles possess unique properties that present potential health risks to the workers who manufacture them and to consumers who are directly or inadvertently exposed to them. Monitoring personal exposures to these materials is necessary to evaluate such potential risks. This project had three specific aims: Specific Aim 1: Design and construct a prototype instrument capable of collecting personal, breathing-zone samples of airborne nanoparticles as a function of time. Results: A thermal precipitator was designed to measure concentrations of airborne nanoparticles in the breathing zone of exposed individuals. The prototype is small and lightweight, making it sufficient for personal, breathing-zone use. This device, however, was designed to collect a time-integrated sample, since the use of a rotating substrate was deemed impractical during development and testing. Specific Aim 2: Develop a method to estimate personal exposure to airborne nanoparticle number, surface area, and mass concentration over time. Results: Particle collection efficiency was evaluated in the laboratory for this device at flow rates of 5 and 20 mL/min and for particle sizes ranging from 15 to 240 nm. Particle transmission efficiency (with the temperature gradient off) and uniformity of particle deposition across the collection surface were also evaluated. Particle collection efficiency ranged from 100% at 5 mL/min flow to approximately 50% at 20 mL/min. We used scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to image, size, and count particles collected by this device. Particle collection was generally homogeneous near the center the collection plate over a distance of approximately 2 mm. Particle collection was less uniform near the edges of the collection plate, with a tendency for increased deposition near the inlet and flow centerline. Knowing the number and size of collected particles, along with instrument flowrate and collection efficiency, we may then determine exposure concentrations as a function of particle size. Specific Aim 3: Evaluate the method's ability to identify engineered nanoparticles present within an aerosol of mixed origin (i.e., a heterogeneous particle mix). Results: We used energy-dispersive spectroscopy to characterize the physio-chemical properties of individual particles sampled from a mixture of two sources: copper welding fume (an incidental nanoparticle) and engineered copper-tin-zinc nanoparticles. Individually-collected particles were differentiated under SEM examination, which demonstrated the validity of this technique for distinguishing engineered nanoparticles from other types of nanoparticles collected from air. The device engineered from this work will improve our ability to assess worker exposure to engineered nanoparticles. Such a measurement can help establish whether there are links between occupational exposure to engineered nanoparticles and disease, thereby increasing the predictive power of epidemiology and risk assessment. Results from this research can also be translated to the larger realm of health-related air pollution outside of the workplace (e.g., other natural and anthropogenic aerosols). [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aerosols Occupational Health Particulate Matter Safety
• Keywords:
  Breathing Zone Equipment Design Nanoparticles Particle Size Particulate Sampling Methods Samplers Sampling Equipment
• Series:
  Grant Final Reports
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Final Grant Report
• Place as Subject:
  Colorado ; OSHA Region 8
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  OEP - Office of Extramural Programs
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-23
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20057241
• Citation:
  Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, R03-OH-009381, 2011 Oct; :1-23
• Email:
  john.volckens@colostate.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2012
• NORA Priority Area:
  Manufacturing
• Performing Organization:
  Colorado State University - Fort Collins
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20080701
• End Date:
  20110630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:8e5983b85249a14e78b5ecd2889a23e368dd9ad34b8ce8bc7cda3d2eff77999ed331b74f748f3769399c58fa4b3df6f87fb88e04a29e2eb1b489f30610f1ecb5
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/218926/cdc_218926_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 933.81 KB ]