Nanotechnology Update for IHs: Toxicology and Exposure Assessment

Course Level

Intermediate

Prerequisites 

• Basic understanding of general exposure assessment and occupational health issues for nanotechnology.
• A recommended source of background information is the online NIOSH document on Approaches to Safe Nanotechnology (www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/nanotech).

Course Description

Nanotoxicology Issues for Assessing and Managing Occupational Exposure Risks for Nanoparticles in the Workplace

Key exposure assessment, risk assessment, and risk management challenges for nanotechnology include integrating our knowledge of nanotoxicology into the framework of: identifying emerging and never-before-studied nanomaterials and characterizing and classifying their hazards; identifying tasks and potentially exposed individuals by anticipating potential exposure situations for future facilities or reviewing process flow plans, interviewing staff, and “walking around” any existing facilities in which nanomaterials have already been introduced, establishing appropriate task-specific control plans by characterizing the physical properties of the nanoparticle, such as dustiness, morphology, electrostatic properties, bulk density and whether the material is in a liquid suspension, as well as defining the quantity of the nano particles; e.g. milligrams vs. kilograms; considering the frequency and duration for the particular operation, and defining the typical laboratory and production operations with nano particles, including the equipment used to synthesize and/or process them; making, recording, and interpreting direct or surrogate measurements to verify the adequacy of exposure controls following the implementation of the appropriate engineering and work practice controls, including supplemental personal protective clothing and equipment, as needed; and finally conducting periodic re-evaluations to ensure that controls are working as required, and to respond to changes such as new knowledge about the toxicity of the nanomaterial of interest. 

Toxicology of Nanoparticles for the Industrial Hygienist

Despite rapid growth in commercial nanoparticle manufacture over the last decade, the health risks associated with exposure to many of these particles are poorly understood. There is an extensive body of scientific literature on the toxicity of ultrafine particles (such those in diesel emissions or welding fumes), and although these data characterized the behavior and toxicity of many nano-scale materials, they are not universally relevant to the diversity of existing and emerging commercially-produced nanoparticles. Research to date suggests that toxicities of disparate manufactured nanoparticles cannot be predicted by either physical or chemical properties, and acceptable protection of workers and consumers requires collaborative research and regulation.

Nanotoxicology Insights from the NIOSH Research Program

Nanotechnology is a system of innovative methods to control and manipulate matter at the near-atomic scale to produce new materials, structures, and devises. Nanoparticles are a specific class or subset of these new materials, having at least one dimension that is less than 100 nanometers. Nanoparticles exhibit unique physical and chemical properties due to their nanoscale dimensions. Nanotechnology offers the potential for tremendous improvements and advances in many areas that may benefit society, such as integrated sensors, semiconductors, medical imaging, drug delivery, structural materials, sunscreens, cosmetics, coatings, environmental remediation, and many other uses.

Nanotechnology is one of the most rapidly growing industries across the world. By 2015, the global market for nanomaterials and nanotechnology-related products is expected to reach $1 trillion and employ one million workers in the United States alone. Because of their small size and large surface area, engineered nanoparticles may have chemical, physical, and biological properties distinctly different than fine particles of the same composition. Such properties may include a high rate of pulmonary deposition, the ability to translocate from the lung to systemic sites, the ability to penetrate dermal barriers, and a high inflammatory potency per mass.  

NIOSH has developed a nanotechnology safety and health research program in 2004. This program involves multi-disciplinary research in development of methods to measure and characterize nanoparticles, exposure assessment, hazard identification, and risk assessment. This presentation will describe NIOSH research concerning the pulmonary, cardiovascular, central nervous system, and dermal effects of exposure to various nanoparticles.

Managing Exposure Risks for Nanomaterials Using the Current State of Knowledge
Because of the small amount of health effects data available on the behavior of nanoparticles, it is necessary to explore modifications to traditional models that have been used to quantify risk. Some thought-provoking proposals will be presented on how one might go about assessing potential risk associated with nanoparticles, and how this process might aid in developing an overall risk management program. This presentation will also describe the experiences and knowledge generated by practitioners who have taken on the challenge of managing the health, safety and environmental issues along the life cycle of nanomaterials. Their experiences in planning and implementing a risk-based approach based on experience and prudent practice, in the absence of complete health hazard data, will help develop a template for moving forward responsibly.

Learning Outcomes

Students will be provided with tools to better able them to:

• Describe how nanotoxicology issues fit into an overall risk assessment and risk management framework for nanotechnology.
• Understand the toxicological properties of nanoparticles of concern for the health and safety of workers and consumers, including:
• Properties of nanoparticles that may lead to enhanced bioactivity.
• Possible pulmonary responses to inhaled nanoparticles.
• Possible systemic responses to inhaled nanoparticles.
• Possible responses to dermal exposure to nanoparticles.
• Understand and apply approaches for evaluating and managing risks for handling nanomaterials in the presence of uncertainty.

Presenter Information

Mark D. Hoover, PhD, CHP, CIH

Dr. Mark Hoover is a senior scientist in the NIOSH Nanotechnology Research Center and the Division of Respiratory Disease Studies at the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, in Morgantown, West Virginia. He is also coordinator of the Exposure Assessment Coordinated Emphasis Area portion of the NIOSH research program portfolio, and co-leader of the NIOSH Nanoparticle Information Library. He has a BS degree in mathematics and english from Carnegie Mellon University and MS and PhD degrees in engineering from the University of New Mexico. He is also board certified in the comprehensive practice of health physics and in the comprehensive practice of industrial hygiene. Hoover has developed improved strategies, approaches, techniques, and instrumentation for aerosol characterization, generation, and control; served as chairman or a contributor to the development of many national and international standards; and is author or co-author of more than 140 open literature publications.

Charles L. Geraci, PhD, CIH

Dr. Charles Geraci is the coordinator the NIOSH Nanotechnology Research Center and also Chief of the Document Development Branch where he manages projects dealing with the development of recommendations to address worker health and safety in new or emerging technologies. He has more than 30 years of industrial hygiene practice experience that has included the federal government, consulting, and private industry. Geraci earned a BS in chemistry from the University of Cincinnati and a PhD in chemistry from the Michigan State University. He is board certified in both the comprehensive practice and the chemical aspects of Industrial hygiene and is a Fellow of the American Industrial Hygiene Association.

As a member of the NIOSH Nanotechnology Research Council, Geraci is responsible for the development of workplace guidelines, including the document “Approaches to Safe Nanotechnology”. He is also leader of the NIOSH nanotechnology field team that is conducting visits to nanomaterial producers and users to characterize exposures, evaluate controls, and develop best practices. Geraci’s experience includes 10 years in industry at the Procter & Gamble Company where he was an associate director of corporate HS&E. His research interests include development of exposure monitoring methods, evaluating the effectiveness of training, developing effective methods for risk characterization and management, and assessing the hazards and risks of new technologies.

Bruce J. Kelman, PhD, DABT 

Dr. Bruce Kelman is principal and president of Veritox, Inc., a health-based consulting company focusing on toxicology and industrial hygiene. He holds a PhD from the University of Illinois (1975) has been certified in toxicology by the American Board of Toxicology since 1980 and by the Academy of Toxicological Sciences (2006). He is a Registered Toxicologist with both the United Kingdom and EUROTOX registries. His research has focused on components of health risk models including mechanistic studies aimed at quantifying exposure of critical organ systems, and includes more than 100 scientific publications.

Vince Castranova, PhD

Vincent Castranova, PhD, is the chief of the Pathology and Physiology Research Branch in the Health Effects Laboratory Division of the National Institute for Safety and Health, Morgantown, West Virginia. He holds the grade of a CDC distinguished consultant. He is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology and the Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences at West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia and the Department of Environmental and Occupational Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh.

Castranova received a B.S. in biology from Mount Saint Mary’s College, Emmitsburgh, Maryland in 1970, graduating magna cum laude. He received a PhD in physiology and biophysics in 1974 from West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia before becoming an NIH fellow and research faculty member in the Department of Physiology at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. In 1977, Castranova received a research staff position at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and an adjunct facility position at West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia. He has served at these institutions since that time.

Castranova's research interests have concentrated in pulmonary toxicology and occupational health. He has been coordinator of the Nanotoxicology Program in NIOSH since its inception. He has been a co-editor of four books and has co-authored over 450 manuscripts and book chapters.

Amy Madl M.S., DABT

Ms. Amy Madl is a Senior Managing Health Scientist with the risk assessment consulting firm, ChemRisk, Inc. She received both her B.S. in Biochemistry and M.S. in Pharmacology and Toxicology from the University of California, Davis. Her areas of specialty include quantitative exposure and risk assessment of airborne compounds in occupational and environmental settings, as well as the safety evaluation of contaminants associated medical devices and consumer products. She is also Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology and a board-certified toxicologist.

Certification

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