Personal Exposure to Engineering Nanoparticles

描述（由申请人提供）：在未来十年，工程纳米颗粒的全球产量预计将从2,000公吨增长到50,000公吨。必须在工作场所引入新的工业流程来适应这种增长。尽管研究表明一些纳米颗粒是有毒的，但目前还没有评估个人接触的方法。对于这种小颗粒，了解个人接触情况可能特别重要，因为它们的浓度往往随着与源的距离而迅速衰减。该职业发展奖的直接目标是使托马斯·彼得斯博士能够成功过渡到职业和环境卫生领域的独立研究者，重点是保护工人的健康免受纳米颗粒的影响。在该奖项的研究部分，彼得斯博士将进行实验室研究，以评估他的研究小组开发的评估个人接触纳米粒子的方法的精确性和准确性。然后，这些方法将用于调查工人在生产和处理工程纳米粒子的设施中暴露于何种程度。混合模型将用于确定暴露的决定因素，同时控制工人之间（空间）和工人内部（时间）的可变性。计算机控制的带有能量色散x射线检测的电子显微镜将用于进一步表征在实地研究中收集的样品的大小、组成和形态。这些数据将被用于对辐射源的暴露进行分摊。本申请中提出的研究具有重要意义，因为它可以在与潜在急性和慢性不良健康结果相关的时间尺度上直接评估个人暴露于纳米颗粒的情况。作为这些研究的结果，了解暴露将有助于优先考虑毒理学、流行病学和工程控制方面的研究，以更好地保护工人。这一研究部分将辅以一项有力的职业发展计划，其中将包括：(1)负责任的研究行为、流行病学和电子显微镜方面的正式培训；（二）与本奖项主办单位的定期会议；（三）参加小组会议和部门研讨会；(4)在科学会议上发表研究成果；(5)在同行评议的期刊上发表研究成果。预计赞助商的多学科团队将在该奖项的研究和职业发展部分发挥积极作用。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Worldwide production of engineered nanoparticles is expected to grow from 2,000 metric tons to 50,000 metric tons over the next decade. New industrial processes must be introduced into the workplace to accommodate this growth. Although studies have shown some nanoparticles to be toxic, methods to assess personal exposure do not exist. Knowledge of personal exposure may be particularly important for such small particles because their concentration tends to decay rapidly with distance from a source. The immediate objective of this Career Development Award is to allow Dr. Thomas Peters to make a successful transition to an independent investigator in the field of occupational and environmental health, with emphasis on protecting the health of workers from exposure to nanoparticles. In the research component of this award, Dr. Peters will conduct laboratory studies to evaluate the precision and accuracy of methods developed by his research group to assess personal exposure to nanoparticles. These methods will then be used to investigate the extent to which workers are exposed to engineered nanoparticles in a facility that produces and handles them. Mixed models will be used to identify the determinants of exposure, while controlling for the between-worker (spatial) and within-worker (temporal) variability. Computer controlled electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray detection will be used to further characterize the samples collected in the field study by size, composition, and morphology. These data will be used to apportion exposures to sources. The research proposed in this application is significant because it will enable direct assessment of personal exposure to nanoparticles on time scales relevant to potential acute and chronic adverse health outcomes. As an outcome of these studies, an understanding of exposures will help to prioritize studies in toxicology, epidemiology, and engineering controls to better protect workers. This research component will be complemented by a vigorous career development plan, which will include: (1) formal training in responsible conduct of research, epidemiology, and electron microscopy; (2) regular meetings with the sponsors of this award; (3) participating in group meetings and departmental seminars; (4) presenting results at scientific meetings; and (5) publishing results in peer-reviewed journals. It is envisioned that the multidisciplinary team of sponsors will play an active roll in both the research and career development component of this award.