Fiber Emission of Carbon Nanotube Containing Materials for Construction Applications

Details

• Personal Author:
  Formella A ; Shin N ; Tsai, Candace S. J.
• Description:
  This project aimed to assess the carbon nanotube (CNT) fiber emission and the potential exposure associated with grinding and brushing of CNT containing products for applications in construction. Specifically, we looked at applications of pre-dispersed CNT in a liquid phase, where the likelihood of exposure was evaluated. The CNT products to be evaluated were tested in two ways: As a dried-out film formed on the surfaces of concrete tiles to simulate a spill and embedded in concrete during mixing to simulate intended use. The surface film trial showed no loose and individual CNT fiber with aspect ratio higher than 3 to 1 released by the brushing motion, although larger particles containing CNT were found as airborne particles originating from the brushing of CNT containing tile surfaces. A few non-CNT straight fibers with sub-micrometer to a few micrometers in length were found from concrete cylinder grinding. This can potentially be related to the specific loading and concentration used or can be a consequence of the chemical pre-dispersion state of the liquid CNT prior to the trials taking place. According to the low number of CNT containing particles found, very trace amount of elemental carbon was contributed by CNTs. We also demonstrated the importance of confirming the presence of individual CNT and CNT containing substance using electron microscopy analysis and the efficiency of using direct sampling method as a result of comparisons among employed methods. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aerosols Construction Industry Construction Materials Occupational Health Particulate Matter Safety
• Keywords:
  Aerosol Particles Carbon Nanotubes CNT Construction Materials Fibers Nanotechnology
• ISSN:
  0278-6826
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; Colorado ; OSHA Region 8 ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  55
• Issue:
  9
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20068284
• Citation:
  Aerosol Sci Technol 2021 Sep; 55(9):1001-1013
• Contact Point Address:
  Candace S. J. Tsai, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Field School of Public Health, University of California, 650 Charles E. Young Drive S., MC 177220, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
• Email:
  candacetsai@ucla.edu
• CAS Registry Number:
  Carbon nanotubes (CAS RN 308068-56-6)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2021
• Performing Organization:
  University of California Los Angeles
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Aerosol Science and Technology
• End Date:
  20270630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:a4b64e4efe8df9848a1a777b989d4026ee875f587c35b5cd3dd35534d77d656d27b18ab4809cdb27a5fe5d314abd923e0aa08cd23cc3142dbcee9120391c68a4
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/230464/cdc_230464_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.86 MB ]