Authors: Junsu Park Byoung Kyu Kwak Eunjoo Bae Jeongjin Lee Younghun Kim Kyunghee Choi Jongheop Yi
Publish Date: 2009/08/02
Volume: 11, Issue: 7, Pages: 1705-1712
Abstract
An assessment of the extent of exposure to nanomaterials in the workplace will be helpful in improving the occupational safety of workers It is essential that the exposure data in the workplace are concerned with risk management to evaluate and reduce worker exposure In a manufacturing facility dealing with nanomaterials some exposure data for gasphase reactions are available but much less information is available regarding liquidphase reactions Although the potential for inhaling nanomaterials in a liquidphase process is less than that for gasphase the risks of exposure during wetchemistry processes are not negligible In this study we monitored and analyzed the exposure characteristics of silver nanoparticles during a liquidphase process in a commercial production facility Based on the measured exposure data the source of Ag nanoparticles emitted during the production processes was indentified and a mechanism for the growth of Ag nanoparticle released is proposed The data reported in this study could be used to establish occupational safety guidelines in the nanotechnology workplace especially in a liquidphase production facilityThis study was supported by grants No 091071055 from the Ministry of Environment Korea It was also supported by WCU World Class University program through the Korea science and Engineering Foundation funded by the Ministry of Education Science and Technology 40020080230
Keywords: