Occupational Exposures to Engineered Nanomaterials: A Review of Workplace Exposure Assessment Methods

Details

• Personal Author:
  Dahm, Matthew M. ; McCormick S ; Niang M
• Description:
  Purpose of review: The purpose of this review is to consolidate exposure assessment methods for occupational research on engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) published within the past 5 years (2015-2020). Recent findings: The three ENMs that generated the highest volume of new research include titanium dioxide, graphene, and aluminum oxide. A multi-metric approach, using both online and offline instruments and analyses, has been found to be a useful method to characterize ENM workplace exposures and was commonly used in the recently published literature. Particle number concentration was the most common online exposure metric used, followed by the metrics of mass and surface area. There are currently no consensus methods for offline analyses of most ENMs. Researchers generally used gravimetric or elemental analyses for carbonaceous nanomaterials, titanium dioxide, and other nanometals, but there was little overlap between other ENM materials reviewed. Using biological markers of exposure, such as urinary oxidative stress biomarkers, as an indication of chronic exposure may also be useful for some ENMs and should be further researched. Generally, similar online instrumentation and offline electron microscopy methods were used for all ENMs. However, this consistency was not observed for offline mass analysis methods within specific ENMs. Consolidation of the most recent methods and results of exposure assessments within this broad material category can guide researchers toward future areas of study. Establishing consensus methods of exposure assessment for each individual ENM is crucial to characterizing workplace exposures, pooling data to fully understand their associated risks, and developing useful occupational exposure limits. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aluminum Compounds Aluminum Oxide Biomarkers Engineering Environmental Exposure Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Titanium Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Aluminum Oxide Author Keywords: Exposure Assessment Exposure Levels Graphene Nanomaterials Nanoparticles Occupational Exposure Risk Assessment Risk Factors Titanium Dioxide Work Environment Workers

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• ISSN:
  2196-5412
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Ohio ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 5 ; South Carolina
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DFSE - Division of Field Studies and Engineering
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  223-234
• Volume:
  8
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20062937
• Citation:
  Curr Environ Health Rep 2021 Sep; 8(3):223-234
• Contact Point Address:
  Matthew M. Dahm, Division of Field Studies and Engineering, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1090 Tusculum Ave, Cincinnati, OH, 45226
• Email:
  mdahm@cdc.gov
• CAS Registry Number:
  Alumina (CAS RN 1344-28-1) ; Graphene (CAS RN 1034343-98-0) ; Titania (CAS RN 13463-67-7)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2021
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Current Environmental Health Reports
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:1c797e763f8054dc124accc4867431b3bed641f1e0ea7a28015165d13d2ab419c6da4ffa3ed1d7922cf511886b7517b2b83000207ab04b35b8f3f4d9402929f0
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/226100/cdc_226100_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 396.42 KB ]