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Nanoparticles may be in your workplace. Are they safe?

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You can’t see them with the naked eye, but there’s a good chance you’re in contact with nanoparticles. Here are six things you should know.


What are nanoparticles?

Nanoparticles are very tiny particles classed as ultrafine, ranging from 1 to 100 nanometers across. (A nanometer is one billionth of a meter. For perspective, a human hair is about 60,000 to 100,000 nanometers wide.) Some ultrafine particles occur in nature or as a byproduct of processes like welding or burning fuels. But nanoparticle refers specifically to ultrafine particles that are human-created and engineered to have certain characteristics. 

Who produces them, and why?

Nanoparticles are used in products like sunscreen, medical devices, paint, and concrete. Products with nanoparticles have been sold since the late 1990s. They’re used in electronics, automobiles, and manufacturing. Medical researchers in Oregon have made progress toward using nanoparticles in gene therapy for eye diseases, medical imaging, and treating ovarian cancer. The Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR), a nonprofit created by North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU), has identified nearly 1,000 construction products that use nanoparticles. Nanoparticles can make paints more durable, mold-resistant, or UV-resistant. They can make concrete stronger. But they also pose health risks.

Why are nanoparticles a health risk?

Lots of substances cause health issues through inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact, but nanoparticles come with additional risks and unknowns. Their small size means they have more surface area than a larger particle with the same total volume. More surface area can mean more surface reactivity, CPWR Health Research Director Gavin West explained. When inhaled, smaller particles can deposit further down the respiratory tract. Early research has shown inhaled nanoparticles could get into the blood and other organs. Dozens of studies in animals have found carbon nanotubes and nanofibers can cause lung problems. Mice injected with carbon nanofibers developed mesothelioma, a cancer typically associated with asbestos exposure.

What kinds of workers are exposed to nanoparticles? 

Researchers working with nanoparticles may face exposure, but they at least know what they’re working with. Other workers exposed to nanoparticles may not be aware. Manufacturing workers producing cosmetics, electronics, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, construction equipment, or other goods may have exposure to nanoparticles. Within the category of construction materials, nanoparticles are most common in paints and coatings. CPWR has provided trainings on nanomaterials to union safety and health trainers, including through the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT). Powders and sprays are more likely to cause exposure through inhalation. 

How can workers prevent exposure to nanoparticles? 

Research has shown that traditional hazard control methods like respirators or vacuum and filter systems for dust control are effective at reducing exposure to nanoparticles. Masks and other filtration devices aren’t sieves, where everything smaller than a certain size can make it through the barrier. Particles that are 0.3 microns (300 nanometers) are the hardest to capture. But N95 respirators — when properly fitted — still catch 95% of those particles. That’s because smaller particles move in an erratic way that makes them easier to trap in the mask’s fibers. Though safety measures can prevent exposure to nanoparticles, many workers may not take those measures because they aren’t aware nanoparticles are present. CPWR’s work includes educating construction workers and employers on identifying nanomaterials and protecting themselves.

What’s the status of research and regulatory action around workplace exposure to nanoparticles? 

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has recommended exposure limits for three of the most commonly used and most widely studied nanoparticles: carbon nanotubes, silver, and titanium dioxide. But recommended exposure limits for other nanoparticles haven’t been established.

“Different chemicals pose different hazards. Nano is just chemicals in a certain size range. So it all depends on the type of chemical, their properties, the exposure,” said CPWR’s West. Researchers are working on categorizing nanoparticles in order to establish exposure limits for groups of similar nanoparticles, rather than each individual type. Chemical manufacturers and distributors are required to produce safety data sheets to communicate information on the hazard risks of their products. A 2024 CPWR study published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine found that a majority of safety data sheets for products containing nanoparticles were in need of significant improvement. The study also found inconsistencies between the actual chemical composition and the safety data sheets. While research and regulations need work, West said the health and safety response to nanotechnology has been more proactive than the old method of waiting until workers started getting sick and then looking for potential causes. NIOSH’s Nanotechnology Research Center has conducted research and provided guidance on safe use of nanotechnology for the past 20 years. But under orders of the Trump administration, the majority of NIOSH staff received layoff notices in April, likely shuttering the Nanotechnology Research Center along with NIOSH’s other programs.

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