DOE Nanoscale R&D Environment, Safety and Health

Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee

February 21, 2008

Randy Ogle, CIH, CSP, CHMMOperations and ES&H Manager

Center for Nanophase Materials SciencesOak Ridge National Laboratory

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Nanoscale R&D: Great Potential, Good Funding, Big (ES&H) 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 Crichton’s 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 R&D• Funding Environment,

Safety and Health R&D, 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 ES&H• 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 (50-200+nm), 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

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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R&D 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 R&D• ES&H and projected R&D 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/ES&H people began informal

teleconferences with BES-ES&H – Coordinated by Ken Rivera, BES-ES&H– 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

• ES&H for R&D 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 R&D 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 ES&H 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 R&D 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 R&D hazards

• 2005: DOE issued a Nanoscale R&D Policy Statement

• Currently-DOE Facilities are implementing the Nanoscale R&D Policy as DOE tracks progress

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Conduct of Work… DOE will:

• Adopt and implement existing and future best ES&H practice (Consensus Standards)

• Use ISM to identify and manage potential ES&H issues

• …stay abreast of current research and guidance; ensure best current knowledge is applied to ID and Control

• Support ES&H related research• All involved share

responsibility for ES&H consistent with Policy

DOE P 456.1, Secretarial Policy Statement On Nanoscale Safety

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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 ES&H

• 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/nanotechnology/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 Energy’s “Nanoscale Science Research Centers Approach to Nanomaterial ES&H.” This is a solid document in itself, and so perhaps not surprisingly, the BSI [British Standards Institute] guide draws heavily from it—in 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