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NIOSH Safety and Health Topic:

Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology at NIOSH

NIOSH is the leading federal agency conducting research and providing guidance on the occupational safety and health implications and applications of nanotechnology.  This research focuses NIOSH’s scientific expertise, and its efforts, on answering the questions that are essential to understanding these implications and applications:

  • How might workers be exposed to nano-sized particles in the manufacturing or industrial use of nanomaterials?
  • How do nanoparticles interact with the body’s systems?
  • What effects might nanoparticles have on the body’s systems?

As part of this effort, NIOSH is conducting strategic planning and research, partnering with public and private-sector colleagues from the United States and abroad, and making the information and interim recommendations widely available.  As observers generally agree, research to answer these questions is critical for maintaining U.S. competitiveness in the growing and dynamic nanotechnology market.

Nanotechnology Spotlights:

Mark Your Calendar: Exposure Assessment Workshop
NIOSH is co-sponsoring a workshop on human and environmental exposure assessment of nanomaterials on February 24-25 in Bethesda, Md. The workshop will provide an open forum for communication about progress achieved under the National Nanotechnology Initiative's Strategy for Nanotechnology-Related Environmental, Health, and Safety Research, and about the path forward for addressing research needs in this category. http://www.nano.gov/html/meetings/exposure/index.html

John Howard to Participate in February Conference on Nanotech Law, Regulation, and Policy
John Howard, Distinguished Consultant to the Director of CDC and former director of NIOSH, is scheduled to address occupational safety and health aspects of nanotechnology at a Feb. 18-19, 2009, conference in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the Food and Drug Law Institute. http://www.fdli.org/conf/454/index.html.

NIOSH Guidance Document Serves as a Model For and Is Heavily Cited in New ISO Technical Report
Technical leadership and contribution by NIOSH were noted by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in its release Jan. 7 of a new technical report, "ISO/TR 12885:2008, "Health and safety practices in occupational settings relevant to nanotechnologies." The initial outline of the report was prepared using NIOSH's web-based document of findings and interim recommendations, "Approaches to Safe Nanotechnology," the report said. http://www.iso.org/iso/pressrelease.htm?refid=Ref1191.

EPA Stewardship Report Acknowledges 'Approaches' as a Primary Resource
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) "Nanoscale Materials Stewardship Program Interim Report," issued January 12, cites NIOSH's "Approaches to Safe Nanotechnology" as a "primary resource" and states that EPA "continues to consult with NIOSH, especially regarding risk management practices for new chemical nanoscale materials." http://epa.gov/oppt/nano/stewardship.htm

Critical Questions for Occupational Health Noted in Journal Article
Critical questions for sharpening the focus on occupational safety and health in nanotechnology are identified by NIOSH and Finnish researchers in a discussion paper published on-line on November 20 by the Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment, and Health. The questions address the hazard classification of engineered nanoparticles, exposure metrics, actual exposures to different engineered nanoparticles in the workplace, the limits of engineering controls and personal protective equipment with respect to engineered nanoparticles, the kinds of health and hazard surveillance programs that may be required at workplaces, whether exposure registers should be established for workers potentially exposed to engineered nanoparticles, and whether engineered nanoparticles should be treated as "new" substances and evaluated for potential hazards on that basis. Further information is available from the NIOSH lead author, Paul Schulte, Ph.D., at Pschulte@cdc.gov.

Dr. Vincent Castranova: Lifetime Scientific Achievement
Dr. Vincent Castranova is interviewed on podcast for "A Cup of Health," a feature of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Dr. Castranova, the chief of the Pathology and Physiology Research Branch of NIOSH's Health Effects Laboratory Division, received CDC's prestigious 2008 Charles C. Shepard Award for Lifetime Scientific Achievement. Dr. Castranova discusses his career in advanced research to prevent work-related respiratory diseases, and his current leadership in studies to determine if occupational exposures to nanomaterials pose unforeseen risks to human health.

Critical Topic Areas

NIOSH has identified 10 critical topic areas to guide in addressing knowledge gaps, developing strategies, and providing recommendations.

Each topic provides a brief description of the research that NIOSH is conducting in the area of nanotechnology and the applications and implications of nanomaterials in the workplace.

Toxicity &
Internal DoseResearch includes investigating key factors and mechanisms, developing predictive models for toxicity, and determining metrics of dose.
Epidemiology & SurveillanceActivities include evaluating current scientific knowledge of nanomaterials, identifying research and data gaps, integrating nanotechnology safety and health issues into existing surveillance mechanisms, and building on existing public health infrastructure to advance data sharing.



ApplicationsActivities include identifying uses of nanotechnology that applies to workplace safety and health, and evaluate and disseminate effective applications.

 

Interim Recommendations

approaches to safe nanotechnology document coverIn “Approaches to Safe Nanotechnology,” NIOSH invites information and comment from stakeholders.  This information exchange will advance our shared understanding of the current scientific knowledge related to occupational safety and health issues.  This living document also makes recommendations for interim steps in employing the range of control technologies, work practices, and personal protective equipment demonstrated to be effective with other fine and ultrafine particles. These recommendations will be refined as more data become available.

Contributions

  • NIOSH is at the forefront of U.S. research to understand the occupational health implications of nanomaterials.
  • NIOSH offers interim guidelines for working with nanomaterials, consistent with the best scientific knowledge.
  • NIOSH provides a global online library on nanomaterials as a working resource for researchers and others.
  • NIOSH publishes new findings and recommendations as its research advances.

Page last updated: January 15, 2009
Page last reviewed: May 22, 2008
Content Source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Education and Information Division

Nanotechnology Topic Index: