title: Bridging the gap between exposure assessment and inhalation toxicology: Some insights from the carbon nanotube experience.
abstract: The early incorporation of exposure assessment can be invaluable to help design, prioritize, and interpret toxicological studies or outcomes. The sum total of the exposure assessment findings combined with preliminary toxicology results allows for exposure-informed toxicological study design and the findings can then be integrated, together with available epidemiologic data, to provide health effect relevance. With regard to engineered nanomaterial inhalation toxicology in particular, a single type of material (e.g. carbon nanotube, graphene) can have a vast array of physicochemical characteristics resulting in the potential for varying toxicities. To compound the matter, the methodologies necessary to establish a material adequate forin vivoexposure testing raises questions on the applicability of the outcomes. From insights gained from evaluating carbon nanotubes, we recommend the following integrated approach involving exposure-informed hazard assessment and hazard-informed exposure assessment especially for materials as diverse as engineered nanomaterials: 1) market-informed identification of potential hazards and potentially exposed populations, 2) initial toxicity screening to drive prioritized assessments of exposure, 3) development of exposure assessment-informed chronic and sub-chronicin vivostudies, and 4) conduct of exposure- and hazard-informed epidemiological studies.
authors.affiliation: Health Effects Laboratory Division, NIOSH/HELD/PPRB, 1095 Willowdale Rd, MS-2015, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA.
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Erdely
authors.affiliation: Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH 45226, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Dahm
authors.affiliation: Division of Surveillance, Hazard Evaluations, and Field Studies, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH 45226, USA.
authors.forename: Mary K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Schubauer-Berigan
authors.affiliation: Health Effects Laboratory Division, NIOSH/HELD/PPRB, 1095 Willowdale Rd, MS-2015, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA.
authors.forename: Bean T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Health Effects Laboratory Division, NIOSH/HELD/PPRB, 1095 Willowdale Rd, MS-2015, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA.
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Antonini
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Health Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA.
authors.forename: Mark D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Hoover
keywords: Carbon nanotube; Epidemiology; Exposure assessment; Inhalation; Nanomaterial; Toxicology