1. Tools for risk assessement of nanomaterials at the workplace
Maaike Visser | EOHnano 2019

2. Background on Workplace risk assessment in NL
Content:
Background on Workplace risk assessment in NL
Dutch Nano Reference Values (NRV)
Evaluation of risk assessment tools for the workplace
Maaike Visser | EOHnano 2019

3. The Dutch dual system of Occupational Exposure Limits
Employer:
Government:
Responsible for safe working conditions:
Risk Inventarisation and Evaluation (RI&E)
Inspection and enforcement
Setting public OELs (EU BOELs, CMR substances, substances without ‘owner’)
No public OEL available: derive own OEL
Legally binding, public OELs
(+/- 190 substances)
Evaluation of nano-tools for the shop floor| EOHnano2019

4. No public OEL available: what are my options?
In general:
Use recommended health-based limit from e.g. SCOEL, Dutch Health Council, NIOSH, …
Use OEL from other country
Use DNEL (REACH)
Derive own OEL
Safe working practices (Arbocatalogus)
Tools for qualitative risk assessment (e.g. control banding tools)
For nanos:
Safe working practices (Guidance document)
Use recommended health-based exposure limits (e.g. NIOSH)
NRV
Evaluation of nano-tools for the shop floor| EOHnano2019

5. Nano Reference Values (NRV)
NRV Class
Description
Examples
NRV (2012)
(8-hr TWA) 1
Rigid, biopersistent nanofibres for which effects similar to those of asbestos are not excluded
SWCNT or MWCNT or metal oxide fibres for which asbestos-like effects are not excluded by manufacturer.
0.01 fibres/cm3
(= 10,000 fibres/m³) 2A
Biopersistent granular nanomaterial in the range of 1 and 100 nm and a densitiy of > 6000 kg/m³
Ag, Au, CeO2, CoO, Fe, FexOy, La, Pb, Sb2O5, SnO2
20,000 particles/cm³ 2B
Biopersistent granular and fibre form nanomaterials in the range of 1 and 100 nm and a densitiy of <6000 kg/m³
Al2O3, SiO2, TiN, TiO2, ZnO, nanoclay, Carbon Black, C60, dendrimers, polystyrene, Nanofibres for which asbestos-like effects are excluded
40,000 particles/cm³ 3
Non-biopersistent granular
nanomaterials in the range of 1 and 100 nm
e.g. fats, common salt (NaCl)
Applicable OEL for the non-nano form
Based on OEL for asbestos
Pragmatic values, based on urban background concentrations and particle size vs density (IFA, Germany)
NOT health-based!
Evaluation of nano-tools for the shop floor| EOHnano2019

6. Evaluation of Nano Reference Values
Dutch NRVs were established in 2012
Since then, knowlegde on toxicity of NM has increased
Several proposals for nano-specific OELs (overview: Mihalache et al 2016)
Increasing knowledge on grouping of NM
Increasing knowledge on occupational exposure to process-generated nanoparticles (PGNPs) en nano-fraction in conventional materials (FCNPs)
Dutch public (=binding) OEL for asbestos decreased from 10,000 to 2,000 fibers/m3
>>> Should we update the NRV?
Evaluation of nano-tools for the shop floor| EOHnano2019

7. Evaluation of NRV: conclusions
NRV Class
Description
Examples
NRV (2012)
(8-hr TWA) 1
Rigid, biopersistent nanofibres for which effects similar to those of asbestos are not excluded
SWCNT or MWCNT or metal oxide fibres for which asbestos-like effects are not excluded by manufacturer.
0.01 fibres/cm3
(= 10,000 fibres/m³) 2A
Biopersistent granular nanomaterial in the range of 1 and 100 nm and a densitiy of > 6000 kg/m³
Ag, Au, CeO2, CoO, Fe, FexOy, La, Pb, Sb2O5, SnO2
20,000 particles/cm³ 2B
Biopersistent granular and fibre form nanomaterials in the range of 1 and 100 nm and a densitiy of <6000 kg/m³
Al2O3, SiO2, TiN, TiO2, ZnO, nanoclay, Carbon Black, C60, dendrimers, polystyrene, Nanofibres for which asbestos-like effects are excluded
40,000 particles/cm³ 3
Non-biopersistent granular
nanomaterials in the range of 1 and 100 nm
e.g. fats, common salt (NaCl)
Applicable OEL for the non-nano form
Will be decreased to 2000 fibers/m3
Will be replaced by health-based limit values for groups of NM in the (near) future and expanded to include PGNPs/FCNPs
No update required
Evaluation of nano-tools for the shop floor| EOHnano2019

8. Some Tools for risk assessment of NM
Evaluation of nano-tools for the shop floor| EOHnano2019

9. Evaluation of nano-risk assessment tools for the shop floor
Which tools can be found?
What kind of tools are they? (e.g. control banding, risk management, sampling strategy)
Evaluation of:
Accessibility
Field of application (e.g. worker, environment)
Knowledge needed to use the tool (layman, expert level?)
Ease of use (time spent, difficulty to obtain data)
Quality
Inventarisation
Identification
Evaluation
- Concise
- In-depth
Evaluation of nano-tools for the shop floor| EOHnano2019

10. Evaluation of nano-risk assessment tools for the shop floor
40 tools were identified
16 tools were thoroughly evaluated
Transparancy: no overall score
Score per theme: accessibility, ease of use, user knowledge level, area of application, quality of the tool.
Each theme is built of sub-scores, for which criteria are described in detail
Evaluation of nano-tools for the shop floor| EOHnano2019

11. Example: scoring of Quality
Quality score consists of:
Input parameters (what kind? How many? Which Pchem/ hazard / exposure parameters?)
Type of assessment (qualitative? (semi)quantitative?)
Type of output (what kind? Recommendations for risk management measures?)
Is the tool validated and calibrated? Hierarchy of risk measures followed?
Insuffcient Good
Evaluation of nano-tools for the shop floor| EOHnano2019

12. Example: scoring of Quality
Score
Criteria
Insufficient quality
Validation
Clear and thorough description of the method and/or relation to relevant literature
Developed by international authority
Hiearchy of RMMs followed
Moderately sufficient quality
+/- Clear and thorough description of the method and/or relation to relevant literature
Sufficient quality
+/- Validation
+/- Clear and thorough description of the method and/or relation to relevant literature
Good quality
Hierarchy of RMMs followed
Evaluation of nano-tools for the shop floor| EOHnano2019

13. Some examples of evaluated tools:
Anses CB Nanotool
CB Nanotool
Nanomaterials in the laboratory (DGUV)
Nanosafer 1.1beta
Precautionary matrix
SCAFFOLD
Stoffenmanager nano
Good Nano Guide
Guidance on the protection of health … (EC)
Guidenano
Licara Nanoscan
Nano to Go
Nanoreg2
NanoRiskApp
Safe handling and use of carbon nano tubes
Evaluation of nano-tools for the shop floor| EOHnano2019

14. How to get these results to the shop floor?
Evaluation of nano-tools for the shop floor| EOHnano2019

15. Web-application “NanoToolSelector”
Evaluation of nano-tools for the shop floor| EOHnano2019

16. Web-application “NanoToolSelector”

17. Web-application “NanoToolSelector”

19. Thank you for your attention
Maaike Visser | EOHnano 2019