Cavaliere M.R., Compton S.P.
MVA Scientific Consultants, US
Keywords: airborne, CNT, inhalation, TEM
Reports on the inhalation risks associated with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) express concern for exposures throughout the lifetime of CNTs and CNT-enabled products. The ability to quantify airborne exposures to workers and consumers will be a key element in assessing safety. Airborne sampling is already being performed in some environments; however, there is no current standard test method for the sampling and analysis of airborne carbon nanotubes. Individuals interested in developing such a standard test method will need reliable samples with consistent distribution to evaluate their method’s precision and potential for bias. While the aerosolization of nanomaterials has been studied previously by other groups, this study proposes and evaluates a more simplistic method for creating aerosolized CNTs with subsequent collection of airborne particulate in close proximity to the point of exposure. Our method investigates the use of an aerosolizing chamber in tandem with filtering cassettes historically used for airborne asbestos sampling and analysis. The results show that carbon nanotubes from a bulk sample are dispersed into the air and collected onto the filters. These filters can then be prepared for transmission electron microscopy and analyzed for CNTs using the test method of interest.
Journal: TechConnect Briefs
Volume: 3, Nanotechnology 2014: Electronics, Manufacturing, Environment, Energy & Water
Published: June 15, 2014
Pages: 89 - 90
Industry sectors: Advanced Materials & Manufacturing | Energy & Sustainability
Topics: Advanced Manufacturing, Environmental Health & Safety of Nanomaterials
ISBN: 978-1-4822-5830-1