Working with Nanomaterials at Brookhaven

by Steve Hoey, ES&H Coordinator for the CFN and John Peters, Industrial Health Program & Field Services, ESH&Q  Directorate

Health and safety experts at the five DOE-funded Nanoscale Science Research Centers have been collaborating on best-practice working guidelines and controls to assure that all work with nanomaterials is consistent, is safe, and does not harm the environment.

Since the risks associated with engineered nanomaterials are not fully known, the group's goal was to develop conservative but reasonable guidelines for the five NSRCs on how to handle and dispose of such materials. These general guidelines would then be used by each NSRC lab to develop appropriate controls tailored to nanoscience research at that particular lab.

Here at Brookhaven, we have incorporated those best practices and controls in a Standards Based Management System (SBMS) interim procedure that is now being used to guide all nanoscience work at the Laboratory, whether it is conducted at the CFN or in other research areas. The interim procedure can be found here (PDF).

All nanoscience work at BNL undergoes extensive review during the planning process by experts on potential risks and controls. This experimental safety review (ESR) process assures that all hazards are identified and that controls are implemented to mitigate those hazards. The guidelines contained in the SBMS interim procedure have been incorporated into ESRs as appropriate. ESRs are a key part of the work planning process for all experiments on site. This process is captured in the subject area.

The interim procedure calls for a variety of controls, which include engineering (physical barriers, exhaust hoods with HEPA filtration), administrative (policies and procedures that guide work), and personal protective equipment (gloves, masks). The controls are selected based on potential for worker exposure and/or release into the environment.

The form of the nanomaterials (whether they are free particles or bound in a solid or liquid) plays an important role in identifying which controls to institute. Free nanoparticles pose the most significant potential for exposure to workers or the environment. Research with these kinds of nanoparticles at BNL is quite limited. Working with nanomaterials that are bound into a solid may only require personal protective equipment. Flexibility is built into the ESR process, as each application is analyzed and engineering judgments are made regarding the appropriate engineering controls needed.

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