Nanotechnology

Focus on Nanotechnology:

Occupational Safety and Health Applications and Implications Research at NIOSH

NIOSH Research

12-27-05

NIOSH to Form Field Research Team for Partnerships in Studying, Assessing Nanotechnology Processes

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) will form an interdisciplinary field team of NIOSH researchers in the area of nanotechnology. The team will partner with employers and others in conducting field studies to observe and assess occupational health and safety practices in facilities where nanotechnology processes and applications are used.

NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D., invited NIOSH scientists and engineers through an all-hands email on Dec. 27, 2005, to participate in the effort. The NIOSH Nanotechnology Field Research Team will include research team leaders who will be on detail from their usual duties for approximately 30 to 60 days at a time, and interdisciplinary field researchers representing areas such as industrial hygiene, engineering, occupational medicine, and risk assessment. Interdisciplinary researchers will participate in specific aspects of field evaluations in short-term rotations of a few days to one week.

“This systematic effort builds on the start that NIOSH has already made, on a more informal basis, in establishing research partnerships with some companies and institutions in the nanotechnology field,” Dr. Howard notes. “Through this approach, NIOSH can better respond to requests from industry and other stakeholders for practical, effective guidance in designing and maintaining safe nanotechnology operations, based on first-hand collaborative observations and sound research data.”

The function of the field team will be to assess and obtain insight on materials, processes, current and potential worker exposures, work practices, control procedures, and medical monitoring in operations where nanomaterials are developed or utilized. The information and insight obtained by the team will be used by NIOSH to periodically update “Approaches to Safe Nanotechnology,” an interim, on-line NIOSH guidance document, and to create a worker exposure database.

NIOSH posted “Approaches to Safe Nanotechnology” in October 2005 in response to requests for interim guidance from industry and other stakeholders, while research continues for answering key questions about the occupational health implications of nanotechnology. The guidance document is available at www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/nanotech/nano_exchange.html .

The effort is part of NIOSH’s strategic research program on the occupational safety and health applications and implications of nanotechnology.

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11-08-05

Researchers Discuss Nanotechnology Health Questions in JAMA

Questions about potential occupational health implications of nanotechnology are addressed in a news article in the October, 19, 2005 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (2005;294:1881-1883). In the article, Mark Hoover, senior research physical scientist at NIOSH, is among the scientists interviewed. He and other researchers note that the challenge is identifying the unique physical and chemical properties of the many different nanomaterials and turning that information into something meaningful for health risk assessment. NIOSH is addressing this issue by studying the toxicity and health risks associated with nanoparticle exposure in the workplace. This research is part of a concerted effort under the National Nanotechnology Initiative, a federal research and development program coordinating nanoscale science, engineering and technology research.

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11-08-05

NIOSH Funds Study to Examine Filter Efficiency for Nanoscale Particles

Air-purifying respirators are widely used in diverse workplaces, and thanks to decades of research and experience, occupational health professionals have confidence that a NIOSH-certified device with the correct filter, and properly fit-tested, will provide appropriate protection against silica dust and other traditional airborne contaminants. But what about particles in the nanoscale range, which are significantly tinier than traditional particles? Will the same filter be equally efficient in capturing them? To answer that question, NIOSH recently issued a contract for a laboratory study by scientists at the University of Minnesota. NIOSH is funding the contract for one year, ending March 2006.

Conventional knowledge, based on a substantial body of evidence, holds that airborne particles 0.3 micrometers in size are more likely to penetrate a filter than particles of other sizes. Particles larger than 0.3 um will be blocked by filter fibers. Those smaller than 0.3 um will be stuck on and among the fibers through a process called “diffusional capture.” Consequently, if a filter captures particles 0.3 um in size, scientists could be confident that the filter would capture particles of any size.

However, little experimental work has been done to quantify the performance of filters against particles in the nanometer size range. The NIOSH-funded study aims to determine if the accepted theory of filtration remains valid for particles on the borders of nanosize and below. If the study finds that the effectiveness of filters begins to decrease for nanosize particles, it will attempt to identify at what size this decrease is likely to occur. Preliminary findings from the study are anticipated to be presented at the second International Symposium on Nanotechnology and Occupational Health, to be held in Minneapolis, Minn., Oct. 3-6, 2005.

“NIOSH’s support for this study is part of our commitment with many partners to address current questions about nanotechnology and occupational health, and to design exemplary research to help answer those questions,” said NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D. “In so doing, we will help to ensure that the U.S. remains strong and competitive in the dynamic global nanotechnology market.”

View the statement of work for the contract (PDF, 238 KB)

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07-26-05

Just the FAQs: Answering Your Questions About NIOSH Research on Nanotechnology

NIOSH has developed a new web topic page addressing Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding nanotechnology.The topic page answers basic questions, defines nanotechnology, identifies nanomaterials, addresses the worker health effects, and outlines the NIOSH research program. The topic page can be accessed at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/nanotech/faq.html.

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NIOSH Partnerships

12-28-05

NIOSH Nanotechnology Expertise Highlighted in ISO Technical Committee Meeting

NIOSH's international leadership in research on the occupational health and safety implications of nanotechnology was highlighted on Nov. 9-11, 2005, at the inaugural meeting of the International Organization for Standardization's (ISO) Technical Committee on Nanotechnologies. The meeting was an early step in a process to develop international standards for global consistency in all aspects of nanotechnology. NIOSH's roles in the meeting reflected a vigorous U.S. involvement in the process:

• Vladimir Murashov, a senior scientist in the NIOSH Director's Office, was part of a 13-member U.S. delegation led by Dr. E. Clayton Teague, Director of the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO), and Chair of the U.S. Technical Advisory Group for nanotechnology. Dr. Murashov was the only member of the delegation who specifically represented occupational health issues.
  
• NIOSH's web-based document "Approaches to Safe Nanotechnology" is under consideration by the U.S. Technical Advisory Group for submission to the ISO Technical Committee as a potential basis for the committee's development of an ISO Technical Report on occupational health issues.

More information on the international meeting is available from the ISO at www.iso.org/iso/en/commcentre/pressreleases/2005/Ref980.html.

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11-08-05

RAND holds nanotechnology policy and planning workshop

On October 17, 2005 the RAND Corporation, pursuant to a contract with NIOSH, held a policy and planning meeting to focus on nanotechnology and occupational safety and health. Leading experts in both fields along with leadership from key government agencies met to discuss near-term and long-term needs as nanotechnology and nanomaterials become more prevalent in the workplace.

Speaking to participants at the meeting, NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D., said "NIOSH believes that for its work to achieve real value, we must engage with you as our partners--partners in field and laboratory studies; partners in surveillance and data collection; partners in risk assessment; and partners in critical review of the accumulating evidence about both the implications as well as the applications of the emerging field of nanoengineering."

The panel addressed near-term needs including identifying where the greatest need is for NIOSH involvement, how to establish and communicate "best practices" to employers and workers, and types of nanomaterials where government resources should be focused. The discussion of long-term needs centered on determining the best approach for controlling exposures to nanomaterials, recognizing the importance of harmonization between government agencies and with key U.S. trading partners, and identifying ways NIOSH can more effectively interact with stakeholders as NIOSH develops and implements workplace nanotechnology research programs. The RAND Corporation will prepare a report summarizing the workshop proceedings.

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07-26-05

“SnIRC” With a Nano-sized “n” – A New NIOSH Partnership

NIOSH is a founding partner of the Safety of Nanomaterials Interdisciplinary Collaboration (SnIRC), a new initiative based in the United Kingdom. The goals of the collaboration are to raise awareness about issues of nanotechnology, health, and the environment; generate new research; and integrate U.K. research with corresponding studies in other European countries and the U.S. A web site describing the goals, composition, and activities of the collaboration is posted at http://www.snirc.org/index.html.

The new collaboration responds to a recommendation in the 2004 report of the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering, "Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies: opportunities and uncertainties." http://www.nanotec.org.uk/ The report recommended that Research Councils UK – a partnership of the eight U.K. research centers created by royal charters – establish an interdisciplinary center to lead scientific research on issues that are key for understanding human and environmental exposures to nanomaterials.

SnIRC also builds on pre-existing collaborations between NIOSH and eminent nanotechnology research programs at the Institute of Occupational Medicine in Edinburgh, Napier University, Aberdeen University, and Edinburgh University. NIOSH is pleased to be a partner in this new initiative to foster international teamwork for scientific research on nanotechnology and occupational health. A number of NIOSH projects address the specific aims of SnIRC, including research into the characterization and potential health implications of engineered nanomaterials. The new partnership will help NIOSH to maintain awareness of, and to participate in, international developments related to its areas of study.

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Upcoming Events

01-18-06

From Our Partners: AIHA Schedules Nanotechnology Symposium for May Conference

The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) will hold a day-long seminar on May 13, 2006, on issues relating to the control of potential workplace exposures in processes where nanomaterials are produced or used. The seminar will be part of the American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition, May 13-18, 2006, in Chicago, IL. For more information, visit the AIHA web site at http://www.aiha.org/Content/CE/aihce/aihce-nano.htm.

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07-26-05

International Symposium: Biomedical Aspects of Nano-Toxicology

NIOSH will sponsor an international symposium, “Nano-Toxicology: Biomedical Aspects,” on Jan. 29-Feb. 1, 2006, in Miami, Fla. The deadline for registration at the advance rate is Oct. 1, 2005. There will be an additional charge for registration after Oct. 1 and for on-site registrations. Invited speakers from the U.S. and abroad will address key biological issues for assessing the toxicology of nanomaterials and determining if such materials pose an occupational health risk. Other sponsoring organizations are the University of Pittsburgh, Inter Health Neutraceuticals, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Additional details and a registration form are available at http://www.pitt.edu/~nanotox/index.htm.

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07-26-05

Second International Symposium to be Held in October

NIOSH is sponsoring the second International Symposium on Nanotechnology and Occupational Health, to be held in Minneapolis October 3-6, 2005. This is the foremost international meeting of 2005 addressing the potential implications and applications of nanotechnology in the workplace. It will provide a multi-stakeholder forum for presenting, assimilating, and discussing the latest breakthroughs and activities in addressing nanotechnology and worker safety and health. Additional sponsors of the symposium are the Office of the Vice President for Research at the University of Minnesota, and the Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology at Rice University. Six other organizations are co-sponsoring. Further information on the symposium, including details on registration, can be found at http://www.cce.umn.edu/nanotechnology.

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