Personal Exposure to Engineering Nanoparticles

描述(申请人提供)：未来十年，全球工程纳米颗粒的产量预计将从2000公吨增加到50,000公吨。必须将新的工业流程引入工作场所，以适应这种增长。尽管研究表明一些纳米颗粒是有毒的，但还不存在评估个人接触的方法。对这些微小颗粒来说，了解个人接触可能特别重要，因为它们的浓度往往会随着距离污染源的距离而迅速衰减。这一职业发展奖的近期目标是让托马斯·彼得斯博士成功地过渡到职业和环境健康领域的独立调查员，重点是保护工人的健康不受纳米颗粒的影响。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颗粒的方法的精密度和准确性。然后，这些方法将被用来调查工人在生产和处理纳米颗粒的设施中接触到工程纳米颗粒的程度。混合模型将被用来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。计算机控制的电子显微镜和能量色散X射线检测将被用来进一步表征现场研究中收集的样品的大小、成分和形态。这些数据将被用来分配对来源的暴露。本申请中提出的研究具有重要意义，因为它将能够在与潜在的急性和慢性不良健康后果相关的时间尺度上直接评估个人对纳米颗粒的暴露。作为这些研究的结果，对暴露的了解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。这一研究部分将得到强有力的职业发展计划的补充，该计划将包括：(1)负责任地进行研究、流行病学和电子显微镜方面的正式培训；(2)与该奖项的赞助者定期举行会议；(3)参加小组会议和部门研讨会；(4)在科学会议上展示结果；以及(5)在同行评议的期刊上发表结果。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.