International Workshop on the Risk
Assessment of Manufactured
Nanomaterials
8-9 October 2012
9 October 2012

• Responsibility for improving work health and safety and workers’ compensation arrangements across Australia
• Partnership between governments, unions and industry
• Safe Work Australia agency:
– Australian Government statutory agency
– Jointly funded by the Commonwealth, state and territory governments
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• Council of Australia Governments formally committed to the harmonisation of WHS laws (July 2008)
• The model work health and safety legislation consists of an integrated package:
– model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act
– model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Regulations
– model Codes of Practice
– National Compliance and Enforcement Policy
• New WHS laws commenced in NSW, Queensland, ACT,
Commonwealth and Northern Territory, 1 January 2012
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• A risk assessment helps determine:
– how severe a risk is
– whether any existing control measures are effective
– what action you should take to control the risk
– how urgently the action needs to be taken
Code of Practice – How to manage work health & safety risks
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• Mandatory for specified activities
– Confined space work
– Work on energised electrical equipment
– General diving work
– Working with asbestos
• Not mandated generally
– e.g. for hazardous chemicals
– but in many circumstances risk assessment will be the best way to determine how to control risks
Code of Practice - How to Manage
Work Health and Safety Risks
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• Obligations under work health and safety legislation need to be met for nanomaterials and nanotechnologies
• Risk assessment will generally be needed
• Issues being addressed to help ensure effective WHS regulation and risk management
– Nanotechnology Work Health & Safety Program
– Supported by funding under the National Enabling
Technologies Strategy
• Where understanding of nanomaterial hazards is limited
– Recommend precautionary approach to prevent or minimise workplace exposures
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Plus
•
Durability of carbon nanotubes and their potential to cause inflammation
• Nanoparticles from printer emissions in workplace environments
• Health effects of laser printer emissions measured as particles
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• Nanotechnology Work Health & Safety
Advisory Group
– Promoting a coordinated national approach to the management of nanotechnology work health & safety issues
• Nanotechnology Work Health & Safety
Measurement Reference Group
– Developing nanomaterials exposure and emissions measurement capability
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Australian
• National Enabling Technologies Strategy
• Standards Australia Nanotechnologies Committee (Chair)
International
• ISO Nanotechnologies Technical Committee
• OECD WPMN
• NanoRelease
• Liaison with international partners
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Type of
Standard/Limit
Substance Size of material Exposure Standard/Limit
8hr TWA, mg/m 3
Australian WES Respirable 3 (respirable)
Australian WES
Graphite (all forms except fibres)
Carbon black Nanomaterial 3 (inhalable)
US NIOSH
Proposed REL
Japan AIST
Proposed EL
Australian WES
Australian WES
Australian WES
Carbon nanofibres, including CNTs
Fullerenes
Crystalline silica
Amorphous silica
Fumed silica
Nanomaterial
Nanomaterial
Respirable
Inhalable
Nanomaterial
0.007
0.39
0.1 (respirable)
10 (inhalable)
2 (respirable)
US NIOSH REL
US NIOSH REL
Australian WES
TiO
2
TiO
2
TiO
2
Nanomaterial 0.3
Fine size fraction 2.4
Inhalable 10 (inhalable)
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• Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and workplace labels must be provided if chemical classified as hazardous
– Many engineered & manufactured nanomaterials are not currently classified
– Issues with SDS & labels for nanomaterials (J.Frangos,
Toxikos 2010)
• Model Codes of Practice for SDS & Workplace Labelling
– Recommend SDS/label should be provided for engineered or manufactured nanomaterials unless evidence they are not hazardous
• International engagement on SDS
– ISO TC229 project: Preparation of safety data sheets for manufactured nanomaterial s
– UN Sub-Committee of Experts for the Globally
Harmonised System for the Classification & Labelling of
Chemicals (GHS)
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Duty under WHS Regulations to classify according to the GHS
• Considerable knowledge on health impacts of fine & ultrafine particulate air pollution
• Experimental procedures must be considered when drawing possible implications for worker health impact
• Many factors impact on toxicity
– Generally more toxic than macrosize
– Range of hazard severities, depending on particle type
• Carbon nanotubes
– Potentially hazardous, irrespective of whether fibre-like structure or not
Engineered Nanomaterials: A review of the toxicology & health hazards (R. Drew, Toxikos 2009)
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• On-chip cell sorting device for high-throughput nanotoxicity studies ( N.Voelcker et al, Uni SA)
• Update to Engineered Nanomaterials: A review of the toxicology & health hazards (R. Drew et al, ToxConsult)
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• Durability of carbon nanotubes & their potential to cause inflammation (M. Osmond et al, CSIRO/IOM/Edinburgh University
2011)
– Carbon nanotubes can be durable but may break down in simulated lung fluid, depending on sample type
– If fibre-like and sufficiently long, carbon nanotubes can induce asbestos-like responses in the peritoneal cavity of mice, but this response is significantly reduced if nanotubes are less durable
– Tightly agglomerated particle-like bundles of carbon nanotubes did not cause an inflammatory response in the peritoneal cavity of mice
• Human health hazard assessment & classification of carbon nanotubes (NICNAS)
– Recommends carbon nanotubes classified as hazardous
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• Based on exposures measured in Laser printer emissions in workplace environments (P.McGarry et al, QUT/WHSQ 2011)
– Majority of nanoparticle exposure experienced by workers did not come from printers but from other sources
• Comparison of laser printer particle emissions with
Australian & international benchmarks
• Risk of direct toxicity and health effects from exposure to laser printer particle emissions for most people is negligible, but people responsive to unusual or unexpected odours may detect and react to the presence of emissions
A brief review of health effects of laser printer emissions (Toxikos 2011)
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• Potential safety risk e.g. fire & explosion
– High surface area/unit mass
• Focus on examining potential explosivity
– Comparing properties with micron-sized particles
– Examining different types of nanomaterials
• Parameters examined:
– Minimum explosive concentration (MEC)
– Minimum ignition energy (MIE)
– Severity of explosion (Rmax)
Evaluation of potential safety (physicochemical) hazards associated with the use of engineered nanomaterials (Toxikos)
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• Potential exposure
– Material & application dependent
• Control of exposure
– Conventional controls can effectively reduce exposures
– Apply the hierarchy of control
N. Jackson et al, RMIT University 2009
– Control banding approaches can be used
G. Benke et al, Monash University 2010
Use of PPE when working in fume cabinet with engineered nanomaterials
(CSIRO, 2009)
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Process enclosure
Blending with carbon nanotubes for composites.
( Han et al, Inhalation Toxicology, 2008)
Number of
CNTs/cm 3
Personal
Area
Before process enclosure
193.6
172.9
After process enclosure
0.018
0.05
7.00E+04
6.00E+04
5.00E+04 release artificial smoke extrusion machine started - polyurethane additive only
4.00E+04
3.00E+04 local extraction ventilation turned on
2.00E+04
1.00E+04
0.00E+00
Process 2 - C opened extruder plate extraction turned off extraction turned back on
clay added to hopper extrusion stopped
Time
CPC3781 background CPC3781 at source
LEV Effectiveness
From McGarry et al (2012)
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• YES
– MPPS around 300nm for HEPA filters
– Capture mechanism depends on particle diameter Nanosafe2, 2008
• Capture efficiency depends on:
– Flow rate
– Type of filter material
Engineered nanomaterials: Effectiveness of workplace controls
N. Jackson et al, RMIT University (2009)
Reference
Martin & Moyer
(2000)
Richardson et al. (2005)
Richardson et al. (2005)
Filter material type
& certification
N95,
<5% penetration
N95,
<5% penetration
P100,
<0.03% penetration
Filtration efficiency for particles <100 nm
<5% penetration
<5% for low flow rate
Max >5%, high flow rate
<0.03% for low flow rate
Max >0.03%, high flow rate
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• Measurement challenges
– Many different types
– Tend to agglomerate
– Background nanoparticles
•
Which parameters to measure?
– Mass concentration
– Number concentration
– Size distribution
– Shape and chemistry
– Surface area
1.2e+5
1.0e+5
8.0e+4
6.0e+4
4.0e+4 after 16min after 32min after 44min after 60min after 76min after 92min
2.0e+4
0.0
10 100
Particle Diameter / nm
Size distributions of Pt particles after release in a clean exposure chamber. NANOTRANSPORT (2008):
The Behaviour of Aerosols Released to Ambient Air from Nanoparticle Manufacturing
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3-tiered approach can be used
• Tier 1 assessment - standard occupational hygiene survey of process area & measurements to identify likely points of particle emission
• Tier 2 assessment - measuring particle number and mass concentration to evaluate emission sources & workers’ breathing zone exposures
• Tier 3 assessment - repeat Tier 2 measurements & simultaneous collection of particles for off-line analysis
Measurements of Particle Emissions from Nanotechnology Processes, with Assessment of Measuring Techniques and Workplace Controls .
(QUT/WHSQ, 2012)
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Approaches consistent
• Measurements of Particle Emissions from Nanotechnology
Processes, with Assessment of Measuring Techniques and
Workplace Controls (QUT/WHSQ, 2012)
• Emission Assessment for Identification of Sources and Release of Airborne Manufactured Nanomaterials in the Workplace:
Compilation of Existing Guidance (OECD WPMN, 2009)
• Nanoparticle Emission Assessment Technique (NEAT)
(US NIOSH, 2010)
Current projects
• OECD WPMN project on measurement of nanomaterials in air
(QUT, WHSQ & Safe Work Australia)
• ARC Linkage - QUT, WHSQ, National Measurement Institute &
Safe Work Australia
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• Work health and safety assessment tool for handling engineered nanomaterials (2010)
• Safe handling & use of carbon nanotubes (G.Haywood, CSIRO 2012).
• With detailed hazard analysis and exposure assessment
• By Control Banding
• Information sheets
− Use of laser printers
− Safe handling of carbon nanotubes
− Measuring and assessing emissions and exposures
Under development
• Nanotechnology WHS Training Course (N.Jackson et al, RMIT
University)
• ISO TC 229 projects on WHS risk management for manufactured nanomaterials
Safe Work Australia website www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au
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Bringing together research, regulation, guidance & training - Addressing carbon nanotubes
• Understanding hazards
– Review of nanomaterials health hazards (Toxikos)
– Durability of carbon nanotubes and their potential to cause inflammation (CSIRO/IOM/Edinburgh University)
• Regulation
– Health hazard assessment for classification (NICNAS)
•
Measurement of emissions/exposures
– Detection in the workplace (CSIRO)
– Determining/validating suitable techniques (QUT/WHSQ)
– Potential emissions from solid articles from machining (CSIRO)
• Guidance & training materials
– Safe handling & use of carbon nanotubes (CSIRO)
– Nanotechnology WHS training course (RMIT University)
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• Obligations under Work Health and Safety legislation need to be met for nanomaterials and nanotechnologies.
• Risk assessment will generally be needed for manufactured nanomaterials
• Issues are being addressed through the Nanotechnology
Work Health and Safety Program
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