French approach for characterizing potential emissions and exposure to aerosols released from nanomaterials in workplace operations
Résumé
There are a number of occupational situations where potential for emission and exposure to nanomaterials exist along the complete life cycle of the nanomaterials, i.e. research, synthesis, downstream use, application or treatment of products, and waste recycling/disposal. While research continues to address questions of nanomaterials toxicity, there is a need to gain a better understanding of actual workplace exposures, practices, and also determine the effectiveness of existing control measures in reducing exposures that are in place. These field studies are of particular importance as workers, whose number is growing, are the first people in society that are exposed. Various strategies have been proposed worldwide to assess workplace exposure (BSI, 2010; Consent German Report, 2011; Methner et al. 2010; Ramachandran et al., 2011), but so far, no definite standardized international method is available. In that context, a working group was established in 2010 in France with CEA, INRS and INERIS (CEA and INERIS being involved in the French action plan NanoINNOV), whose the outcome is guidance for the characterization of emissions and inhalation exposures to aerosols where nanomaterials are processed or used during workplace operations. The tiered-type approach that will be presented follows a 5-stage scheme (Figure 1). Three levels should be successively passed before a measurement campaign is considered. The measurement strategy in itself is based on two levels of intervention: level 1 is intended primarily for industrial hygiene practitioners, while level 2 is intended primarily for experts / researchers with experience in (nano) aerosol measurement in the workplaces. In addition to the international proposals, the present approach enables to integrate the possibility of particle release tests under laboratory conditions.