title: Impact and effectiveness of risk mitigation strategies on the insurability of nanomaterial production: evidences from industrial case studies.
abstract: Workers involved in producing nanomaterials or using nanomaterials in manufacturing plants are likely to have earlier and higher exposure to manufactured/engineered nanomaterials (ENM) than the general population. This is because both the volume handled and the probability of the effluence of 'free' nanoparticles from the handled volume are much higher during a production process than at any other stage in the lifecycle of nanomaterials and nanotechnology-enabled products. Risk assessment (RA) techniques using control banding (CB) as a framework for risk transfer represents a robust theory but further progress on implementing the model is required so that risk can be transferred to insurance companies. Following a review of RA in general and hazard measurement in particular, we subject a Structural Alert Scheme methodology to three industrial case studies using ZrO2 , TiO2 , and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). The materials are tested in a pristine state and in a remediated (coated) state, and the respective emission and hazard rates are tested alongside the material performance as originally designed. To our knowledge, this is the first such implementation of a CB RA in conjunction with an ENM performance test and offers both manufacturers and underwriters an insight into future applications.
authors: Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale, Università degli Studi di Parma, Parma, Italy.
authors: Enrico
authors: E
authors: Bergamaschi
authors: Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
authors: Finbarr
authors: F
authors: Murphy
authors: Institute of Occupational Medicine, Edinburgh, UK.
authors: Craig A
authors: CA
authors: Poland
authors: Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Mullins
authors: ISTEC-CNR, Faenza (RA), Italy.
authors: Anna L
authors: AL
authors: Costa
authors: Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
authors: Eamonn
authors: E
authors: McAlea
authors: Institute of Occupational Medicine, Edinburgh, UK.
authors: Lang
authors: L
authors: Tran
authors: Materials and Surface Science Institute (MSSI), University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
authors: Syed A M
authors: SA
authors: Tofail
mesh_terms: D004781:Environmental Exposure; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000633:toxicity; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D010316:Particle Size; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012449:Safety
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon