Nanotechnology

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Nanotechnology is a major new force in the manufacture of products as diverse as car bumpers and drug-delivery micro machines. With its increasingly widespread applications, however, nanotechnology has drawn growing attention to occupational health and safety issues focusing on particles so small that there are few clear-cut guidelines on how to work with them in complete safety.

The greatest likelihood of exposure is during the manufacture of nano particles or nano-enabled products. It is widely known that inhalation of fine particles in conventional industrial operations should be avoided. To ensure appropriate steps are taken to minimize exposure, a risk management program should be implemented. Elements of such a program should include training workers in the proper handling of nano materials, criteria and procedures for installing engineering controls at process locations where exposure might occur, and developing procedures describing personal protective equipment and when it should be worn.

Data are lacking on airborne particles smaller than 100 nanometers. These particles tend to agglomerate at high concentrations, which is good because then we can control them using conventional methods. We still, however, need to know more about how to dispose of captured particles, and the impact of escaped particles in an open environment.

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