DOE Nanoscale R

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DOE Nanoscale RD Environment, Safety and Health

• Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee
• February 21, 2008
• Randy Ogle, CIH, CSP, CHMM
• Operations and ESH Manager
• Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory

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Nanoscale RD Great Potential, Good Funding,
Big (ESH) Questions

• Late 50s Feynman visualized synthesis from the
  atomic level
• 1980s Enabled by advances in microscopy
• Mid-80s Smalley et al. discovered Buckyballs
• 1990s Carbon nanotubes
• Interagency Working Group on Nanotechnology
  (IWGN)
• 1st nanorobotics Zyvex
• 2000 Clinton announces the National
  Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI)
• NNI participants NSF, Commerce, Energy, Defense,
  etc.
• 2002 Michael Crichtons novel Prey is a
  best-seller
• 2003 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and
  Development Act, signed by President Bush in
  December
• Congressional hearings on ESH Aspects of
  Nanotechnologies

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The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NANO.GOV)

• Steering U.S. Activities
• DOE SC/BES plays a leading role
• Funding RD
• Funding Environment, Safety and Health RD,
  largely toxicity testing

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What Do We Know About Nanoparticle Safety?

• The human experience with nanoparticles in air --
  we have evolved in an atmosphere of
  Nanomaterials
• Size and material characteristics relate to ESH
• Potential effects include increased toxicity,
  flammability, and reactivity
• Controlling nanoparticle exposures is
  straightforward
• Remember RISK is a function of the degree of
  Hazard (e.g., toxicity) and Exposure
• Perception and communication are important!

Nanotechnology could revolutionize science,
technology, medicine, and space exploration.
Nanotechnology could ravage the environment,
eliminate jobs, and lead to frightening new
weapons of war. Those are two extreme takes on
the hottest, and potentially most controversial,
new technology since biotech and PCs. S.F.
Chronicle
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Examples of Historical Human Exposures to
Nanoparticles

• Fumes (50-200nm), combustion products, and
  silicon carbide-whiskers
• Zinc and Manganese fumes versus particulates
• Asbestos
• Diesel Exhaust
• The ambient air environmental soup we live in
• Natural sources of nanomaterials -- fires,
  volcanoes, and natural smog
• Nano in homes offices (1000-100K P/cc)

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Toxicity Emerging Information

• Depends on chemistry, morphology, surface
  charges, etc.
• Probably relates to particle surface area
  especially for insoluble/low soluble
• Benign residence
• Free radicals (in vitro)
• Increased inflammatory response (in vivo)
• Translocation to target organs (rodents)
• Allergic asthma symptoms
• Aggravate symptoms of pneumonia
• Cardiac effect - 2 days later

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Size Is Important!
Surface area as dominant characteristic
contributing to toxicity is plausible
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Controlling the Nano-hazards

• Agglomeration a function of time
  (de-agglomeration??)
• Enclosed reactors
• Ventilation
• Encapsulated in processes
• HEPAs work
• Polymer gloves work
• Tyvek works
• HEPA Respirators work (provide as last resort)
• Bio-monitoring Occupational, Safety, and Health
  Administration (OSHA) listed soluble toxins

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Safety and the DOE Nanoscale Science Research
Centers
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RD Safety within DOE and Specifically in the
Nanoscale Science Research Centers (NSRC)

• Integrated Safety Management (ISM) followed from
  inception in the NSRCs
• Upper-level support, grass roots participation
• NSRCs Designed to accommodate the planned RD
• ESH and projected RD staff designed individual
  labs and controls
• Used experience, benchmarking, and best available
  control technologies

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The NSRCs collaborated on design and execution,
including environmental, safety, and health
issues

• Shared construction safety experiences
• Shared information on Nanosafety
• 2003 Operations/ESH people began informal
  teleconferences with BES-ESH
• Coordinated by Ken Rivera, BES-ESH
• Began developing Guidelines for Nanosafety
• Began informal communications with Andrew Maynard
  and Mark Hoover, NIOSH
• Today - a chartered (by NSRC Directors) activity
• Members are involved in consensus standards
  development

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General Nanoscale Safety at the NSRCs

• NSRC laboratories are User facilities
• Safety programs and training are tailored to
  Users
• ESH for RD includes substantial interactions
  with subject matter experts and planning
• NSRC research staff are integral
• Interactions with the National Institute for
  Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and
  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• NSRC visits and discussion of protocol
• Expansion to collaboration through User Projects
• Need for well-characterized Nanoscale materials
• To the extent possible, hazards are engineered
  out of the proposed RD activities
• The currently accepted approach to nanotechnology
  and other new technologies is known as prudent
  avoidance (avoid unnecessary exposures)

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Nanoscale Safety at the Center for Nanophase
Materials Sciences (CNMS)(programs are similar
at all NSRC Labs)

• Safety envelopes are set for each lab, that is,
  limits on hazardous activities are preset and can
  be modified through work planning
• CNMS strictly controls access to labs
• HEPA systems are used for all free-nano
  activities
• CNMS ESH has used the NSRC sampling methods to
  affirm safety (emissions) for current activities
• Guidance has been provided to CNMS staff on waste
  handling
• Nanoscale safety training has been developed and
  is available to all nanotech researchers

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Nanoscale Research in DOE Today

• Nanoscale RD is common in DOE research and at
  DOE Laboratories
• Driven by science and the potential impact on
  energy technology issues
• DOE Laboratories have a common safety program,
  Integrated Safety Management (ISM)
• Provides controls of all RD hazards
• 2005 DOE issued a Nanoscale RD Policy
  Statement
• Currently-DOE Facilities are implementing the
  Nanoscale RD Policy as DOE tracks progress

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DOE P 456.1, Secretarial Policy Statement On
Nanoscale Safety

• Conduct of Work
• DOE will
• Adopt and implement existing and future best ESH
  practice (Consensus Standards)
• Use ISM to identify and manage potential ESH
  issues
• stay abreast of current research and guidance
  ensure best current knowledge is applied to ID
  and Control
• Support ESH related research
• All involved share responsibility for ESH
  consistent with Policy

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Other Rules and Standards Nanosafety

• General Industry
• Occupational, Safety and Health Administration
  (OSHA) nonspecific, Laboratory Standard
• Environmental Protection Agency/Department of
  Transportation (EPA/DOT)
• Not specific to nano
• Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
• Clean Air Act (CAA)
• General Lab Safety Guidance
• Prudent Practices in the Laboratory - Handling
  and Disposal of Chemicals - National Research
  Council
• Consensus Standards for Nanotechnologies
• American Standards for Testing and Materials
  (ASTM) Committee E56 on Nanotechnology
• American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
  Technical Advisory Groups (TAG) and International
  Standards Organization (ISO) Technical
  Committees (TC) 229 Nanotechnologies
• Government Guidance National Institute for
  Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Approaches to Safe Nanotechnology

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State of Knowledge, Control Methods are
Summarized in the NSRC Consensus Document

• A living consensus of the NSRC ESH
• Addresses recommended control methods
• Administrative, engineering and personal
  protective devices
• Suggested methods for creation, use, transport,
  and disposal
• Referenced research on NIOSH website
• Available on line http//orise.orau.gov/ihos/nano
  technology/nanotech_doe_nanoscale_sc.html
• Summer Workshop Planned at Argonne Summer 08

"One document that has risen to the challenge is
the U.S. Department of Energys Nanoscale
Science Research Centers Approach to Nanomaterial
ESH. This is a solid document in itself, and
so perhaps not surprisingly, the BSI British
Standards Institute guide draws heavily from
itin places duplicating the DOE document
verbatim." Andrew Maynard, Ph.D, Chief Science
Advisor on Emerging Nanotechnologies, Woodrow
Wilson Center - Safenano.org on January 18, 2008