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NanoData Landscape Compilation Information and Communication Technologies
Abstract and Figures
The reports offer a snapshot of the environment for nanotechnology in different application fields: Construction, energy, environment, health, ICT, manufacturing, photonics and transport.
They describe policies and programmes for nanotechnology in the EU and give an overview of publications, patenting, research & innovation, industry, products and markets.
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Introduction: The development of digital economy is impossible without a widespread use of microelectronic products. Many highly qualified specialists are employed in the production of electronic components. The objective of our study was to conduct a hygienic assessment of working conditions in electronics production. Materials and methods: We studied the conditions and nature of work in employees of the main occupations in the modern production of semiconductor resistors, capacitors, and microcircuits at all stages of the technological process. We measured noise, illuminance, and air pollution at workplaces and assessed labor severity and intensity based on work time observations. In total, over 1,250 tests of factors of occupational environment and indices of labor processes were made. Results: We established that air pollution with lead compounds, increased levels of noise, and hot microclimate mostly determined working conditions of employees engaged in preparation and processing of ceramic compositions. Occupational risk factors for those performing precision assembling operations and quality control using optical devices included severity and intensity of the labor process. Sensory load when performing these operations during 55–75 % of the work shift was assessed as Grade 3.1. Conclusions: Our findings helped identify priority adverse occupational factors for electronics workers’ health risk assessment and substantiate comprehensive measures for prevention of occupational and production-related diseases.
This review article aims to provide an overview of chemically modified graphene, and graphene oxide (GO), and their impact on toxicology when present in biological systems. Graphene is one of the most promising nanomaterials due to unique physicochemical properties including enhanced optical, thermal, and electrically conductive behavior in addition to mechanical strength and high surface-to-volume ratio. Graphene-based nanomaterials have received much attention over the last 5 years in the biomedical field ranging from their use as polymeric conduits for nerve regeneration, carriers for targeted drug delivery and in the treatment of cancer via photo-thermal therapy. Both in vitro and in vivo biological studies of graphene-based nanomaterials help understand their relative toxicity and biocompatibility when used for biomedical applications. Several studies investigating important material properties such as surface charge, concentration, shape, size, structural defects, and chemical functional groups relate to their safety profile and influence cyto- and geno-toxicology. In this review, we highlight the most recent studies of graphene-based nanomaterials and outline their unique properties, which determine their interactions under a range of environmental conditions. The advent of graphene technology has led to many promising new opportunities for future applications in the field of electronics, biotechnology, and nanomedicine to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of debilitating diseases.
Abstract Gallium arsenide (GaAs) is an important semiconductor material. In 2-year inhalation studies, GaAs increased the incidence of lung tumors in female rats, but not in male rats or male and female mice. Alveolar proteinosis followed by chronic active inflammation was the predominant non-neoplastic pulmonary findings. IARC classified GaAs as carcinogenic to humans (group 1) based on the assumption that As and Ga ions are bioavailable. The European Chemical Agency Risk Assessment Committee concluded that GaAs should be classified into Carcinogenicity Category 1B (presumed to have carcinogenic potential for humans; ECHA). We evaluate whether these classifications are justified. Physico-chemical properties of GaAs particles and the degree of mechanical treatment are critical in this evaluation. The available data on mode of action (MOA), genotoxicity and bioavailability do not support the contribution of As or Ga ions to the lung tumors in female rats. Most toxicological studies utilized small particles produced by strong mechanical treatment, destroying the crystalline structure. The resulting amorphous GaAs is not relevant to crystalline GaAs at production and processing sites. The likely tumorigenic MOA is lung toxicity related to particulate-induced inflammation and increased proliferation. It is concluded that there is no evidence for a primary carcinogenic effect of GaAs.
This report deals with the potential environmental, health and safety (EHS) risks of engineered nanomaterials (ENM). Because of the great uncertainties regarding their actual health and environmental effects and numerous methodological challenges to established risk assessment procedures (toxicology, exposure and hazard assessments, life cycle assessment, analytics, and others), risk management of ENM is confronted with serious challenges. On the other hand, precautionary regulatory action with regard to ENM is demanded by a number of stakeholders and parts of the general public. Regulation under uncertainty raises fundamental political questions of how lawmakers should regulate risk in the face of such uncertainty. To explore this issue in greater detail, the project focused on two important perspectives of regulation: Risk management strategies for ENM as discussed or proposed for the EU or its Member States, and risk communication problems and needs for EHS risks of ENM. Findings of the project were discussed with MEPs in several workshops. In addition, the project used also a participatory method in order to investigate the risk communication expectations of the general public.
Access:http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/divers/join/2012/482685/IPOL-JOIN_DV(2012)482685_EN.pdf
Stoffenmanager Nano (version 1.0) is a risk-banding tool developed for employers and employees to prioritize health risks
occurring as a result of exposure to manufactured nano objects (MNOs) for a broad range of worker scenarios and to assist
implementation of control measures to reduce exposure levels. In order to prioritize the health risks, the Stoffenmanager
Nano combines the available hazard information of a substance with a qualitative estimate of potential for inhalation exposure.
The development of the Stoffenmanager Nano started with a review of the available literature on control banding. Input parameters
for the hazard assessment of MNOs were selected based on the availability of these parameters in, for instance, Safety Data
Sheets or product information sheets. The conceptual exposure model described by Schneider et al. (2011) was used as the starting point for exposure banding. During the development of the Stoffenmanager Nano tool, the precautionary
principle was applied to deal with the uncertainty regarding hazard and exposure assessment of MNOs. Subsequently, the model
was converted into an online tool (http://nano.stoffenmanager.nl), tested, and reviewed by a number of companies. In this paper, we describe the Stoffenmanager Nano. This tool offers a practical
approach for risk prioritization in exposure situations where quantitative risk assessment is currently not possible. Updates
of this first version are anticipated as more data become available in the future.
Graphene and its derivatives are promising candidates for important biomedical applications because of their versatility. The prospective use of graphene-based materials in a biological context requires a detailed comprehension of the toxicity of these materials. Moreover, due to the expanding applications of nanotechnology, human and environmental exposures to graphene-based nanomaterials are likely to increase in the future. Because of the potential risk factors associated with the manufacture and use of graphene-related materials, the number of nanotoxicological studies of these compounds has been increasing rapidly in the past decade. These studies have researched the effects of the nanostructural/biological interactions on different organizational levels of the living system, from biomolecules to animals. This review discusses recent results based on in vitro and in vivo cytotoxicity and genotoxicity studies of graphene-related materials and critically examines the methodologies employed to evaluate their toxicities. The environmental impact from the manipulation and application of graphene materials is also reported and discussed. Finally, this review presents mechanistic aspects of graphene toxicity in biological systems. More detailed studies aiming to investigate the toxicity of graphene-based materials and to properly associate the biological phenomenon with their chemical, structural, and morphological variations that result from several synthetic and processing possibilities are needed. Knowledge about graphene-based materials could ensure the safe application of this versatile material. Consequently, the focus of this review is to provide a source of inspiration for new nanotoxicological approaches for graphene-based materials.
The penetration of intact particles in the nanometer range (nanoparticles, [NP]) through human skin is a controversial topic, which has attracted much interest from both the pharmaceutical and the personal care industries. Concerns have also been raised about the possible implications that dermal exposure to NP may have for human health, particularly from physical sunblock formulations. Here we use a theoretical approach to determine the feasibility of NP penetration of healthy human skin. The maximum flux of NPs of various dimensions is calculated based on two algorithms that have been developed to model passive diffusion of molecules through skin. The results confirm that NPs are too large to permeate skin by this mechanism. Although components of NPs may dissolve in the skin and measurable amounts have been detected in body fluids, this is not indicative of actual NP transport through the skin. The possible roles for NP formulations in drug permeation enhancement are also considered but are not associated with the penetration of intact NP.
The stability of III-nitride semiconductors in various solutions becomes important as researchers begin to integrate them into sensing platforms. . This study quantitatively compares the stability of GaN surfaces with different polarities. This type of quantification is important because it represents the first step towards designing semiconductor materials interfaces compatible with solution conditions. A stability study of Ga- and N-polar GaN was conducted by immersion of the surfaces in deionized H2O, pH 5, pH 9, and H2O2 solutions for 7 days. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry of the solutions was conducted to determine the amount of gallium leached from the surface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy were used to compare the treated surfaces to untreated surfaces. The results show that both gallium nitride surface types exhibit the greatest stability in acidic and neutral solutions. Gallium polar surfaces were found to exhibit superior stability to nitrogen polar surfaces in the solutions studied. Our findings highlight the need for further research on surface passivation and functionalization techniques for polar III-nitride semiconductors.
We determined the distribution and biocompatibility of graphene oxide (GO) in mice by using radiotracer technique and a series of biological assays. Results showed that GO was predominantly deposited in the lungs, where it was retained for a long time. Compared with other carbon nanomaterials, GO exhibited long blood circulation time (half-time 5.3 ± 1.2 h), and low uptake in reticuloendothelial system. No pathological changes were observed in examined organs when mice were exposed to 1 mg kg−1 body weight of GO for 14 days. Moreover, GO showed good biocompatibility with red blood cells. These results suggested that GO might be a promising material for biomedical applications, especially for targeted drug delivery to the lung. However, due to its high accumulation and long time retention, significant pathological changes, including inflammation cell infiltration, pulmonary edema and granuloma formation were found at the dosage of 10 mg kg−1 body weight. More attention should be paid to the toxicity of GO.Graphical abstractResearch highlights► GO can be effectively labeled with 188Re. ► 188Re–GO was predominantly deposited in the lungs. ► GO shows good biocompatibility to targeted organs. ► GO shows good biocompatibility to RBC. ► Provided basic information for toxicity assessment and biomedical applications.
The toxicity of semiconductor materials can significantly hinder their use for in vitro and in vivo applications. Gallium nitride (GaN) is a material with remarkable properties, including excellent chemical stability. This work demonstrated that functionalized and etched GaN surfaces were stable in aqueous environments and leached a negligible amount of Ga in solution even in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. Also, GaN surfaces in cell culture did not interfere with nearby cell growth, and etched GaN promoted the adhesion of cells compared to etched silicon surfaces. A model peptide, "IKVAV", covalently attached to GaN and silicon surfaces increased the adhesion of PC12 cells. Peptide terminated GaN promoted greater cell spreading and extension of neurites. The results suggest that peptide modified GaN is a biocompatible and non-toxic material that can be used to probe chemical and electrical stimuli associated with neural interfaces.
To facilitate the proposed use of graphene and its derivative graphene oxide (GO) in widespread applications, we explored strategies that improve the biocompatibility of graphene nanomaterials in the lung. In particular, solutions of aggregated graphene, Pluronic dispersed graphene, and GO were administered directly into the lungs of mice. The introduction of GO resulted in severe and persistent lung injury. Furthermore, in cells GO increased the rate of mitochondrial respiration and the generation of reactive oxygen species, activating inflammatory and apoptotic pathways. In contrast, this toxicity was significantly reduced in the case of pristine graphene after liquid phase exfoliation and was further minimized when the unoxidized graphene was well-dispersed with the block copolymer Pluronic. Our results demonstrate that the covalent oxidation of graphene is a major contributor to its pulmonary toxicity and suggest that dispersion of pristine graphene in Pluronic provides a pathway for the safe handling and potential biomedical application of two-dimensional carbon nanomaterials.