Assessing Nanoparticle Risks to Human Health

✍ Scribed by Gurumurthy Ramachandran

• Publisher: William Andrew
• Year: 2011
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 289
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

The book will take a systematic look at nanoparticle risks within the paradigm of risk assessment, consider the limitations of this paradigm in dealing with the extreme uncertainties regarding many aspects of nanoparticle exposure and toxicity, and suggest new methods for assessing and managing risks in this context. It will consider the occupational environment where the potential for human exposure is the greatest as well as the issues relevant to occupational exposure assessment (e.g., the exposure metric) and the evidence from toxicological and epidemiological studies. A chapter will be devoted to how conventional risk assessment can be carried out for a candidate nanoparticle (e.g., carbon nanotubes), and the limitations that arise from this approach. We will propose several alternate methods in another chapter including screening assessments and adapting the rich methodological literature on the use of experts for risk assessment. Another chapter will deal with non-occupational populations, their susceptibilities, and life-cycle risk assessments. There will be a chapter on current risk management and regulatory oversight frameworks and their adequacy. This chapter will also include a discussion of US and EU approaches to risk assessment, as well as corporate approaches.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover......Page 1
Assessing Nanoparticle Risks to Human Health
......Page 2
Copyright......Page 3
Preface......Page 5
About the Editor......Page 7
About the Contributors......Page 8
1.1 Introduction......Page 13
1.2 The Nature of the Engineered Nanomaterial Challenge......Page 18
1.3 The Problem with Definitions......Page 20
1.4.2 Plausibility......Page 22
1.5 Applying the Principles to Engineered Nanomaterials......Page 23
1.5.2 Materials Capable of Penetrating to Normally Inaccessible
Places......Page 24
1.6 Looking Forward......Page 25
References......Page 28
2
Assessing Exposures to Nanomaterials in the Occupational Environment......Page 32
2.1 Nanotechnology and Nanoparticles......Page 33
2.2.1 Inhalation......Page 34
2.2.3 Ingestion......Page 36
2.3 Measurement of Health-related Exposure Metrics......Page 37
2.4 Instrumentation......Page 42
2.4.1 Real-time Measurements......Page 44
2.4.2 Time-integrated Measurements......Page 47
2.5 Exposure Assessment Strategy......Page 48
2.5.1 Basic Characterization......Page 50
2.5.2 Exposure Assessment......Page 55
References......Page 70
3.1 Introduction......Page 76
3.1.1 Risk Assessment Paradigm......Page 77
3.1.2 Hazard Assessment......Page 78
3.1.2 Hazard Assessment......Page 82
3.1.4 Temporal Extrapolation......Page 84
3.2.1 Data Description......Page 85
3.2.2 Severity of Effects......Page 86
3.2.3 Risk Assessment Steps: Benchmark Dose Estimation......Page 88
3.3.1 Comparison to Other Methods......Page 94
3.3.2 Research Needs......Page 98
3.3.3 Future Directions......Page 99
3.4 Appendix: Pulmonary Ventilation Rate Calculations......Page 100
3.4.2 Human Ventilation Rate......Page 101
References......Page 102
4.1 Introduction and General Background......Page 109
4.2 What Is Postulated About the Lung Hazards of Nanoparticle Exposures......Page 110
4.3 Species Differences in Lung Responses to Inhaled Fine and/or Ultrafine TiO2
Particles......Page 111
4.4 Pulmonary Bioassay Studies......Page 112
4.4.1 Pulmonary Bioassay Studies of Fine and Nanoscale TiO2
Particle-types......Page 113
4.4.2 Pulmonary Bioassay Studies of Fine and Nanoscale α-Quartz
Particle-types......Page 115
4.4.3 Safe-Handling of Nanoscale Particulates in the Laboratory......Page 116
References......Page 118
5
Using Expert Judgment For Risk Assessment......Page 119
5.1 Uncertainties in Risk Assessment......Page 120
5.1.1 Challenges and Uncertainty in Data Collection, Extrapolation,
and Modeling......Page 121
5.2.1 Traditional Risk Assessment......Page 122
5.2.2 Using Expert Judgment in Risk Assessment......Page 124
5.3.1 Expert Performance on Elicitation Tasks......Page 125
5.3.2 Elicitation Methods and Best Practices......Page 128
5.4 Arriving at Consensus Risk Estimates......Page 133
5.5 The Use of Expert Judgment for Nanoparticle
Risks......Page 134
5.5.1 Uncertainty in Characterizing Health Risks from
Nanoparticles......Page 135
5.5.2
Challenges for Expert Judgment with Emerging Nanotechnologies......Page 140
References......Page 142
6.1 Introduction......Page 149
6.2 Challenges Related to the Traditional Industrial Hygiene Approach......Page 151
6.3 CB Nanotool......Page 153
6.3.1 Severity Factors......Page 155
6.3.2 Probability Factors......Page 159
6.4 Evaluation of the CB Nanotool......Page 162
6.4.1 Severity......Page 163
6.4.2 Probability......Page 164
6.4.3 Addressing Expert Opinion......Page 166
6.5 Considerations for the Nanotechnology Industry......Page 170
6.6 Conclusion......Page 171
References......Page 172
7.1 Introduction......Page 177
7.2 The Hierarchy of Control......Page 178
7.3 Criteria for Prioritizing Control Options......Page 180
7.4 Form of Nanomaterials......Page 181
7.5.1 Exterior Hoods......Page 182
7.5.2 Ventilated Enclosures......Page 183
7.6.1 Electrostatic Precipitators......Page 186
7.6.2 Air Filters......Page 187
7.6.3 Filter Performance Over Time......Page 192
7.8 Personal Protective Equipment......Page 194
7.8.1 Protective Clothing and Gloves......Page 196
7.8.2 Respiratory Protection......Page 197
7.9
Summary and Recommendations......Page 200
References......Page 202
8 Addressing the Risks of Nanomaterials under United States and European Union Regulatory Frameworks for Chemicals......Page 204
8.1 Introduction......Page 205
8.1.1 Terminology: Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies, and Nanomaterials......Page 206
8.1.3 Commercial and Economic Dimensions......Page 207
8.1.4 Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Risks: Scientific Knowledge
and Uncertainty......Page 209
8.2.1 The Toxic Substances Control Act......Page 211
8.2.2 The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)......Page 221
8.3.1 Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals
(REACH)......Page 226
8.4
Comparative Analysis......Page 243
Conclusion......Page 257
End notes......Page 258
References......Page 276
Index......Page 282