Occupational Medicine & Health Affairs
Open Access

Abstract

The manufacture and use of nanomaterials raises the same types of issues and questions relative to the potential impact on human health presented by many new emerging technologies. Traditionally, industrial hygiene professionals rely on the results of quantifiable human health risk assessments to develop and implement risk management programs. The general role, concepts and tools of human health risk assessment remain relevant and operational in the evaluation of nanomaterial risk; however, currently there are considerable gaps in our knowledge of the variables for quantifying risk assessment of these materials. This research will focus on the issues and elements involved in developing risk assessment and identify and characterize the major knowledge gaps. This research will focus on what is known about nanomaterial toxicity, exposure assessment and hazard analyses, and discuss risk management decision-making when the information needed for quantitative risk assessment is limited. This research will provide the industrial hygienist with the current state of risk assessment knowledge on toxicity and exposure assessment of nanomaterials.

Biography