Presentation 3: Are nanomaterials a worker health and safety risk? - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

1 / 8
About This Presentation
Title:

Presentation 3: Are nanomaterials a worker health and safety risk?

Description:

Presentation 3:Are nanomaterials a worker health and safety risk? www.nanodiode.eu – PowerPoint PPT presentation

Number of Views:79
Avg rating:3.0/5.0
Slides: 9
Provided by: etu148
Learn more at: https://www.etui.org
Category:

less

Transcript and Presenter's Notes

Title: Presentation 3: Are nanomaterials a worker health and safety risk?


1
Presentation 3Are nanomaterials a worker health
and safety risk?
2
Health effects identified so far
  • Nanomaterials can penetrate further into the
    human body if inhaled and even pass into the
    bloodstream and travel to other organs
  • Some nanomaterials (multi-walled carbon nanotubes
    - MWCNTs) have shown asbestos-like effects
  • Lack of data available on the hazards (human and
    environmental) posed by nanomaterials
  • Yet, we can read across to nanomaterials from
    our knowledge of effects of the same or similar
    materials at bulk size - toxicologists have not
    yet identified new health effects from
    nanomaterials as seen for other hazardous
    substances
  • Toxicity can depend upon size, shape, surface
    charge, age, etc of the nanomaterials, so their
    complexity means testing for all possible
    variables would take many years and would be
    expensive

References and images What Workers Need to Know
about Nanomaterial Toxicology https//nanohub.org/
groups/gng/training_materials
Date, location
3
Precaution as a first response
  • Given many unknowns about nanomaterial hazards,
    preventing worker exposure is the best approach
  • Nanoparticles may enter the body through three
    routes inhalation, absorption and ingestion

Reference Colvin, V.L., The Potential
Environmental Impact of Engineered
Nanomaterials, in Asmatulu, R. Toxicity of
Nanomaterials and Recent Developments in Lung
Disease http//www.intechopen.com/books/bronchiti
s/toxicity-of-nanomaterials-and-recent-development
s-in-lung-disease
Date, location
4
Routes of exposure
  • INHALATION
  • Inhalation is the most important exposure route
    because it is the most concentrated, and produces
    the strongest effects
  • Inhaled airborne nanomaterials may deposit in
    different parts of the lungs
  • Inhaled nanomaterials may travel to other organs
    and lymph system via blood stream (also exposure
    via the olfactory bulb/nerve)
  • ABSORPTION
  • Fewer studies done on absorption than on
    inhalation
  • Studies show different results
  • little to no penetration beyond surface skin
    layers
  • Penetration of flexed, damaged or diseased skin
  • Penetration of intact skin within 8-24 hours
  • Eyes also an exposure route
  • Skin studies based on short-term single
    applications
  • INGESTION
  • May occur after inhalation exposure when mucus is
    brought up the respiratory tract and swallowed
  • Poor work practice can result in hand-to-mouth
    transfer (e.g. eating or smoking in the work
    area)
  • Ingested nanoparticles do translocate to other
    organs

Reference What Workers Need to Know about
Nanomaterial Toxicology https//nanohub.org/groups
/gng/training_materials
Date, location
5
Concerns about exposure
  • Effects from nanomaterials testing
  • Cancers, including mesothelioma
  • Rapid and persistent pulmonary fibrosis
  • Cardiovascular dysfunction
  • Transfer to different organs (e.g. the brain,
    heart, liver, intestine, lymph system) via the
    olfactory nerve into the brain, via the lungs,
    via the skin
  • Affect cells their shape and structure, damage
    cell membranes
  • Irritation responses (e.g. respiratory problems)
  • DNA and liver damage

Reference What Workers Need to Know about
Nanomaterial Toxicology https//nanohub.org/groups
/gng/training_materials Images
http//science.howstuffworks.com/nanotechnology5.
htm General Safe Practices for Working with
Engineered Nanomaterials in Research Laboratories
(http//www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2012-147/pdfs/2012-
147.pdf)
Date, location
6
Reactivity at nanoscale
  • Nanomaterials have much larger surface areas than
    the same mass of bulk materials so a greater
    amount of the material can come into contact with
    surrounding materials, increasing reactivity
  • E.g. A solid cube of a material 1 cm³ has 6cm² of
    surface area about equal to one side of half a
    stick of gum. The same 1cm³ cube filled with 1
    nanometre-sized cubes (each with an area of 6
    nanometres²) 6,000 square metres a bit larger
    than a 4-lane Olympic sized swimming pool
  • Their higher reactivity levels make nanomaterials
    attractive for introduction into products and
    production processes (new functions, increased
    energy efficiency) but this reactivity also
    applies to biological processes (the body) and we
    know that nanomaterials can travel further into
    the body via inhalation

Reference and image http//www.nano.gov/nanotech-
101/special
Date, location
7
Risks from presence of nanomaterials
  • This table shows a summary of the risks to be
    assessed under EU chemicals-related occupational
    health and safety legislation, and some risk
    factors related to hazardous chemicals
  • In red are the risk factors that need to be given
    particular attention when doing a risk assessment
    of the nanomaterial/s in the workplace

Risk Some risk factors
Risks due to inhalation of the agent Toxicity of the nanomaterial Physicochemical characteristics of the nanomaterial Environmental concentration Exposure time Particularly sensitive workers Inappropriate selection and/or use of RPE
Risks due to absorption through the skin Location and extent of the contact with the skin Toxicity of the nanomaterial via the skin Duration and frequency of contact Particularly sensitive workers Inappropriate selection and/or use of RPE
Risks due to contact with the skin or eyes Inappropriate selection and/or use of RPE Inappropriate work procedure Incorrect transfer procedure
Risks due to ingestion Toxicity of the nanomaterial Potential toxicity of the nanomaterial Incorrect personal hygiene habits Possibility of eating, drinking or smoking in the workplace Particularly sensitive workers
Risks of fire and/or explosion Physical state (ultrafine dust) Pressure/temperature Flammability/calorific value Airborne concentration Sources of ignition
Risks due to hazardous chemical reactions Chemical reactivity and instability of hazardous chemical agents Inadequate cooling systems Unreliable system for controlling key variables in the reaction (pressure, temperature and flow control)
Risks arising from installations which may have consequences on the health and safety of workers Corrosion of materials and installations Deficient or non-existent facilities for controlling leaks and spills (retaining trays, protection against mechanical impacts) Deficient or non-existent preventive maintenance
Reference and image DG Employment, 2014,
Guidance on the protection of the health and
safety of workers from the potential risks
related to nanomaterials at work Guidance for
employers and health and safety practitioners
Date, location
8
Potential worker exposure across product lifecycle
  • Worker exposure can occur across the lifecycle of
    a nano-enabled product from nanomaterial
    production, to manufacturing of a nano-enabled
    product, to the products use (e.g. machining of
    the product), and in its end-of-life management
    (recycling or incineration/disposal)
  • Of all these phases, nanomaterial production
    workplaces are the most assessed for worker
    exposure

Image http//www.nanotortlaw.com/2013/08/12/nanop
article-waste-treatment-concerns-evaluated-in-a-ne
w-study/
Date, location
Write a Comment
User Comments (0)
About PowerShow.com