The risk assessment of potentially hazardous carbon nanomaterials for small scale operations

Abstract

Carbon nanomaterial applications are expected for consumer use within next decade. Risk management methods are reviewed by National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Safe Work Australia, Health and Safety Executive, and additionally Dupont's and Environmental Defense Fund's Nano Risk Framework. A new risk management method for handling carbon nanoparticles is presented, directed especially to universities and to research institutes. Small scale operations are different than those conducted in enterprises. Typically work started from the scratch, and researchers with limited experience of working with hazardous materials are distinctions to enterprise work flows. The promoter in this study has also been the life-cycle perspective for handling hazardous materials already in early stages of the research. Two risk evaluation cases are introduced in the use of multiwalled carbon nanotubes. The method behind inference logics in risk evaluation is demonstrated, and it was successfully implemented in the real carbon nanotube research project. The straight-forward spreadsheet implementation is an additional advantage due to short set-up time, due to easy system maintenance and due to the easy use of different evaluation parameter weights.