Industrywide Exposure Assessment Study of Workers Exposed to Graphene and other Two-Dimensional Nanomaterials

National Institute Of Environmental Health Sciences

Investigators

Abstract

The past decade has witnessed an extraordinary increase in research progress and innovation on ultrathin two-dimensional (2-D) nanomaterials. These 2-D nanomaterials include industrial scale materials, such as graphene, as well as emerging materials such as hexagonal boron nitride, silicene, molybdenum disulfide, and many others that have generated considerable interest as they demonstrate a vast array of unique physical properties. Two-dimensional nanomaterials offer great potential in numerous applications such as in electronics, energy storage, water remediation, paints and coatings, sensors, lighting, composites, and biomedicine. As the utilization of 2-D nanomaterials continues to rise, with greater expansion into industrial applications, the potential for workplace and environmental exposures throughout the life cycle of these materials will also increase. To date, there have been relatively few studies in the published literature evaluating the toxicity of these materials, and even fewer data are available regarding workplace exposures and the development of exposure assessment methodologies. To date NIOSH has identified 89 companies potentially handling graphene or other 2-D nanomaterials. Because of pandemic restrictions NIOSH has been unable to conduct site visits and has focused this work on assessing health and safety concerns as part of a collaboration with a graphene industry trade association. Five companies have agreed to participate in field studies in the future. NIOSH has obtained 4 different types of graphene materials of commercial relevance and varying surface areas to determine aerosol characteristics (dustiness and mass median aerodynamic diameter). The aerosol characterization and aerodynamic sizing experiments on four graphene materials and one control material have begun and will be completed in FY22. In addition, NIOSH is evaluating elemental carbon in real time from aerosol samples obtained in various occupational environments.