MATR 4344: NANOMATERIALS

(ASSIGNMENT 3)

“Develop your idea on engineering controls for Nanomaterials”

TOPIC:

RESTRICTING THE EFFECTS OF

NANOPARTICLES ON THE

ENVIRONMENT

Members : Muhammad Zakhuan bin Zulkeflee (1629031)

Section :1

Lecturer’s Name : Dr. Noor Azlina Hassan

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 TABLE OF CONTENT

TABLE OF CONTENT ............................................................................................................. 2

LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................... 3
CHAPTER 1 .............................................................................................................................. 4
INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 4
1.1 Health and Safety Hazards of Nanomaterials ............................................................. 4
1.2 Effects of Nanomaterials on Organisms...................................................................... 5
CHAPTER 2 .............................................................................................................................. 6
ENGINEERING CONTROLS FOR NANOMATERIALS ...................................................... 6
2.1 Environment Risk Assessment of Nanomaterials ....................................................... 6
2.2 Engineering Controls................................................................................................... 6
2.3 Administrative Controls .............................................................................................. 7
2.4 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) ......................................................................... 8
CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................ 10
REFRENCES ........................................................................................................................... 11

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 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1. Routes of nanomaterials exposure and uptake, and potential routes of nanomaterials

translocation (Yokel & MacPhail, 2011). .................................................................................. 4

Figure 2. Particle penetration through dust masks and facepiece respirators (Taghavi et al.,

2013). ......................................................................................................................................... 8

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 CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION

1.1 Health and Safety Hazards of Nanomaterials

Nanotechnology provides various potential health and environmental benefits, with

engineered nanomaterials being produced for the capture and storage of renewable energy and

batteries, water purification, food processing, environmental sensors and remediation, as well

as greener engineering and development. However, without any special rules and regulations,

most components of various nanotechnologies are growing and evolving and this could lead to

adverse environmental changes and affect staff in indoor and outdoor workplaces.

Few studies have been conducted on the toxic and environmental effects that result from

direct and indirect exposure to nanoparticles, and there are no clear standards to determine their

effects. The health and environmental effects of nanomaterials are not well understood, leading

some to caution development of this technology. However, some analogy of the effects of

nanomaterials can be extracted through comparison from ultrafine particles, which have been

shown to cause inflammation, asthma exacerbation, genotoxicity, and inhalation-following

carcinogenesis.

Figure 1. Routes of nanomaterials exposure and uptake, and potential routes of nanomaterials
translocation (Yokel & MacPhail, 2011).

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 The primary routes of nanomaterials exposure are shown by the four grey shaded frames

in figure 1. From these uptake sites, the arrows down indicate possible routes of translocation.

The risk assessment of such nanoparticles requires evaluation of their mobility, reactivity,

environmental toxicity, and stability. With the increasing use of nanoparticles for commercial

and industrial purposes, the debate becomes whether the numerous benefits of nanoparticles

can overcome the economic costs, environmental impacts, and unknown risks resulting from

their use.

1.2 Effects of Nanomaterials on Organisms

Nanomaterials or nanoparticles can pass through and be absorbed into various mammalian

cell membranes, and their absorption rates depend on their size. In determining their absorption

rates, the most important parameters are the size of the nanoparticles and their distribution,

aggregation, and sedimentation in the cells. The cellular absorption of nanoparticles occurs by

endocytosis or phagocytosis in certain individual cells (Taghavi et al., 2013). Some particular

places in the cells, such as the mitochondria, store the nanoparticles and they can cause toxic

reactions. The toxicity of nanoparticles is linked to their small size, large surface area and the

ability of reactive oxygen species to create them. The carbon black particles in humans cause

many respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Many carcinogenic materials may find their way

deep into the lungs, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and very tiny soot, and

cause toxic effects.

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 CHAPTER 2
ENGINEERING CONTROLS FOR NANOMATERIALS

2.1 Environment Risk Assessment of Nanomaterials

The effects of nanomaterials on the environment depend on how they are used in the

workplace, how they are divided into various media (e.g., water and air), their mobility and

stability in each of these media. In order to assess their risks, such basic information on the

behaviour and toxicity of nanoparticles is required; however, it is not possible to carry out a

realistic assessment solely on the basis of that information; rather, certain data on the expected

concentration of nanoparticles in environmental systems would be necessary and, to date, such

concentrations are not correct.

The tools, environmental mechanisms and applications of nanoparticles, as well as plants

and animals that are sensitive to nanomaterials, must be identified as a starting point for the

environmental risk assessment of nanoparticles. So, environmental risk assessments of

nanomaterials during their lifecycles are essential.

2.2 Engineering Controls

Nanomaterials exposure can be reduced through the use of engineering controls, such as

process changes, material containment, and enclosures operating at negative pressure

compared to the worker’s breathing zone; worker isolation; separated rooms; the use of robots;

and local exhaust ventilation (LEV).

a. Process Containment

Nanomaterials handling is often conducted in fume hoods. Field sampling for fume hood,

work zone and background concentrations of PM2.5 (< 2.5 μm) particles during fullerene

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processing and other carbon-containing ENMs showed aerosol handling of 5 to 100 nm

particles found in fume hoods (NIOSH, 2013).

b. Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV)

In an industrial environment, air-displacement ventilation was achieved by the introduction

of supply air that entered at low velocity at the floor level and was cooler than room air. It

became colder as the air rose and was exhausted near the ceiling. Effective clearing of ENMs

from the breathing zone was thus established. (Greaves, 2011) reported that the efficacy of

LEV reactors generating ENMs of 15 to 50 nm in diameter was assessed during the clean-out

of slag and waste used by brushes and scrapers. A portable LEV unit was used that was shown

to decrease sensitivity to welding fumes. The reduction in release of 300- to 10,000-nm Ag,

Co, and Mn particles during cleanout of reactors used to make nanoscale metal catalytic

materials was 75, 94, and 96%, respectively.

2.3 Administrative Controls

Administrative controls are applied when engineering controls are not feasible for reducing

exposure. Policies and procedures aimed at limiting worker exposure to a hazard. These could

include a nanoscale material hygiene plan; preparation, training in, and monitoring use of

standard operating procedures; reduction of exposure time; modification of work practices; and

good workplace and housekeeping practices. For example, one laboratory was thoroughly

cleaned after high air concentrations of nanoscale materials were measured in a facility engaged

in the commercial compounding of nanocomposites. The effect was a significant decrease in

airborne particles of between 30 and 100 nm. Subsequent routine maintenance kept the

particles below those originally detected, leading the authors to believe that this administrative

regulation helped minimize potential exposure.

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 2.4 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

The hazards addressed by PPE include physical, electrical, heat, chemicals, biohazards, and

airborne particulate matter. Using PPE, such as respirators, protective suits, and gloves, is the

last line of protection in the exposure management hierarchy.

a. Respirators

Dust masks, filtering facepiece respirators, chemical cartridge/ gas mask respirators, and

controlled air-purifying respirators are major forms of respiratory defence. Respirators

performance are determined by penetration of nanoparticles trough it and studies has been done

by using many types of masks.

Figure 2. Particle penetration through dust masks and facepiece respirators (Taghavi et al., 2013).

Test material was NaCl, flow rate 85 l/min and values shown are mean, unless noted

otherwise. Figure 2.A shows a dust masks performance. Results shown are the mean and most

and least efficient of 7 commercially available dust masks, as purchased in home

improvement/hardware stores. Figure2.B shows N95 respirators performance. Results from 6

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3M Engineered nanoparticles and particulate respirators. Figure2.C represents N95 respirators

at two flow rates. Results from n = 2 and figure 2.D shows N99 respirators with results from n

= 2.

b. Protective Clothing

For the prevention of dermal exposure to nanomaterials, no recommendations are available for

the collection of clothing or other apparel. This is partially due to the limited evidence on the

effectiveness of current protective equipment, including gloves, available. While nonwoven

fabrics were much more effective than woven fabrics in protecting employees from

nanoparticles exposure, they are much less comfortable to wear, indicating that changes in

fabric design or selection are required to overcome this disincentive in order to use more

effective PPE. The selection of laboratory coat materials can greatly influence the potential

penetration of nanoparticles, which may end up on or penetrating street clothing, resulting in

worker absorption or their even greater dispersion into the environment.

c. Gloves

Nitrile, latex, and neoprene gloves prevented ~10 nm titania and platinum ENM

penetration. Double gloving has been suggested by (Vinches et al., 2016), which should reduce

material penetration when there is glove perforation as well as dermal contamination when

removing a contaminated outer glove. However, double gloving has not been shown to

significantly decrease material penetration. Stretching the latex and nitrile gloves to 200% of

their original size greatly increased the pores/ intrinsic voids. The surface pores may be

important if they collect nanoparticles and the user does not remove the gloves when going to

another location, thereby transporting the nanomaterials.

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 CONCLUSION

An extensive range of nanomaterials has been produced. In several goods, nanomaterials

have already been used and much more extensive use is planned in the future. There are reports

of toxicity following in vitro and in vivo exposure to several nanomaterials, but always at very

high doses, and dose response tests are generally lacking. There is a limited amount of

information on exposure assessment and a lack of information needed for a risk

characterization. Good workplace practices and recommendations focused on ultra-fine

materials guide occupational safety and health practices in working with nanomaterials before

more testing and workplace monitoring information is available to refine existing awareness of

nanomaterials risks.

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 REFRENCES

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(LEV) works and how effective it is: Phase 2. www.hse.gov.uk/research/

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(2019). Recent progress in the synthesis of graphene and derived materials for next

generation electrodes of high performance lithium ion batteries. Progress in Energy

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ENGINEERING CONTROLS IN Nanomaterial Production and Downstream

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102/pdfs/2014-102.pdf?id=10.26616/NIOSHPUB2014102

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A., Sadeghain, M., & Karchani, M. (2013). Effects of Nanoparticles on the

Environment and Outdoor Workplaces. Electronic Physician, 5(4), 706–70612.

https://doi.org/10.14661/2013.706-712

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8. Vinches, L., Zemzem, M., Hallé, S., Peyrot, C., J. Wilkinson, K., & Tufenkji, N.

(2016). Effectiveness of Protective Gloves against Engineered Nanoparticles:

Difficulties in Evaluation. International Journal of Theoretical and Applied

Nanotechnology, January. https://doi.org/10.11159/ijtan.2016.002

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