Chapter 2 - Assessing and Managing Exposures to Nanomaterials in the Workplace

Thomas M Peters; Gurumurthy Ramachandran; Ji Young Park; Peter C Raynor

doi:10.1016/B978-0-323-35323-6.00002-5

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Book chapter

Chapter 2 - Assessing and Managing Exposures to Nanomaterials in the Workplace

Thomas M Peters, Gurumurthy Ramachandran, Ji Young Park and Peter C Raynor

Assessing Nanoparticle Risks to Human Health, pp.21-44

Elsevier Inc, Second Edition

2016

DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-323-35323-6.00002-5

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Abstract

This chapter presents a strategy for assessing exposures to nanomaterials in the workplace. First, a general strategy to assess exposures to hazardous agents in the workplace is presented and discussed in the context of the considerable uncertainties introduced by nanotechnology and nanomaterials. These uncertainties include the importance of different routes of exposure, selection of appropriate occupational exposure limits, and choice of appropriate instrumentation to measure exposures. The last section provides a “best-practices” strategy for exposure assessment in the nanotechnology industry, taking these uncertainties into account, and leverages current knowledge on toxicology, epidemiology, and instrumentation. An emphasis is placed on airborne exposures, but the principles presented apply to other routes of exposures as well. This strategy includes concentration mapping as part of the basic characterization of the workplace, the proper identification and validation of similarly exposed groups of workers, and the development of ad hoc occupational exposure limits to effectively and efficiently manage exposures even with a modest level of resources.

exposure assessment

exposure limits

exposure management

instrumentation for nanoparticles

Nanoparticle

routes of exposure

similarly exposed groups

strategy

Details

Title: Subtitle: Chapter 2 - Assessing and Managing Exposures to Nanomaterials in the Workplace
Creators: Thomas M Peters - Occupational and Environmental Health, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
Gurumurthy Ramachandran - Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
Ji Young Park - Institute of Health and Environment, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
Peter C Raynor - Division of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
Resource Type: Book chapter
Publication Details: Assessing Nanoparticle Risks to Human Health, pp.21-44
Edition: Second Edition
DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-323-35323-6.00002-5
Publisher: Elsevier Inc
Language: English
Date published: 2016
Academic Unit: Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering; Occupational and Environmental Health
Record Identifier: 9984214842602771

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