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The first international conference on 'Safe production and use of nanomaterials': NanoSafe2008 was held on 3–7 November at the Minatec congress center located in Grenoble, France. As recognised, the rapidly developing field of nanotechnologies presents many opportunities and benefits for new materials with significantly improved properties as well as revolutionary applications in the fields of energy, environment, medicine, etc. However, the potential impact of these new materials on human health and the environment is viewed with apprehension. All the security aspects have to be solved in order to reach an acceptable level of risk. The new nano industry can only develop dynamically if these legitimate fears are satisfactory allayed.

This event was organized by the French Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (CEA) in the frame of the Integrated European project NanoSafe2 funded by the European Commission under FP6 programs. NanoSafe2008 had broad international participation from 25 countries representing the 5 continents, with registered delegates numbering over 250. The scientific program involved the presentation and discussion of 112 papers, classified as 8 plenary lectures, 65 oral and 39 posters.

The conference attracted many of the best known leading scientists and specialists in almost all the different fields of expertise covering nanosafety issues: Exposure, Characterisation, Detection, Monitoring, Life cycle, Toxicology, Personal protection, Secure industrial production, Safety parameter evaluation, Standardization, Regulation and Education.

In parallel with the conference an exhibition took place where 10 exhibitors presented the commercial equipment available today in relation to safety during the production or the use of nanomaterials.

We believe that this conference, with the above topics, has provided a forum where the many matters of interest to the NanoSafety community have been debated. The success of the conference was such that attendees asked the organizers to perpetuate this event on a two year basis in order to become a global manifestation with greater success in bridging the gap between the best scientists, engineers, exhibitors and participants from countries concerned with safe and responsible nanomaterial activities. Therefore, the second International NanoSafe Conference 'NanoSafe2010' will be held in Grenoble at Minatec, 15–19 November 2010.

The meeting was financially supported by generous contributions from the European Commission, La Région Rhône Alpes, la Ville de Grenoble, la Metro, and partners such as CEA, INERIS,Cilas, Niro A/S, Nanosight, Arkema, Faure Ingénierie, Philips, Sperian, TSI, Ecomesure,Mecachrome, Nanogate, INRS and Cordouan Technologies.

Carole Sentein Frédéric Schuster Francois Tardif The conference Organizers

All papers published in this volume of Journal of Physics: Conference Series have been peer reviewed through processes administered by the proceedings Editors. Reviews were conducted by expert referees to the professional and scientific standards expected of a proceedings journal published by IOP Publishing.

The impact of engineered nanoparticles (ENP) on human and environmental health is largely unknown at the moment, although their applications involve a wide range of fields from electronics, medicine, environmental remediation, packaging, etc. and their use are becoming very common. Currently the best way to estimate the human exposure to ENP is by monitoring the workplaces, which are the first environment involved in their involuntary release.

This study has been carried out in the research laboratories of the CIVEN Association, devoted to the promotion of research and training activities in different fields of nanotechnology. Its aim is to evaluate the emission of particles in the full range from 5 nm to 20 μm from two different deposition processes of thin film (plasma enhanced chemical and physical vapour deposition, PECVD and PVD respectively) and from the compounding of polymers with nanofillers by means of twin screw extruder.

The results show very different scenarios of emissions. In particular a significant increase of particles concentration has been detected at the opening of the PECVD vacuum chamber and during nanocomposite compounding. In the first case it rises to 3 000 particles cm^-3, while in the second one the emissions are two orders of magnitude larger, reaching more than 1.5 × 10⁵ particles cm⁻³.

The purpose of the present project was to study the interference of magnetic nanoparticles with drug molecules – rifampicin, used in lung infectious disease and respectively, sodium diclofenac, an antiinflammatory steroid. The controlled magnetic contamination was accomplished using colloidal nanoparticles supplied from diluted magnetic fluids. Various concentrations of diluted aqueous magnetic fluids, based on magnetite cores coated with citric acid and respectively sodium oleate, were tested. The experiment was focused on the capacity of the magnetic nanoparticles to form reversible complexes with the drug molecules, as well as on the monitoring of the nanoparticle-drug complex dynamics, under the action of external magnetic field. The level of released rifampicin ranged between 4 mg/100 ml and 7 mg/100 ml for the magnetic exposure of 20 mT, while the sodium diclofenac decomplexation level was not higher than 2.5 mg/100 ml under magnetic exposure of 60 mT. The experimental arrangement was proved to be an adequate model for the dynamical study of magnetite reversible complexation with drug molecules, evidencing certain specific values of drug concentration and magnetic field induction that favour such interactions.

We investigated the dustiness (the propensity of a material to generate airborne dust during its handling) of various nanomaterials, including carbon nanotubes and metal oxides, by the vortex shaker method. The number concentrations and size distributions (∼10->10 000 nm) of aerosol particles released during agitation were measured. It was found that the modal diameter was greater than 100 nm for all tested nanomaterials, and for most of them some sub-100 nm particles were observed. The dustiness differed by two (or three) orders of magnitude among the test nanomaterials.

Typical nanomaterial production processes from daily practice had been performed in order to determine simultaneously the exposure to nanoparticles. They involve mixing of ZnO powder into a liquid, filling and emptying an oven with indium tin oxide (ITO), spraying a suspension of nanoparticles, flame spraying of silanes, and an outside location as comparison.

There is a need for nanoparticle generators with well characterised properties in many fields. For instance the calibration of measurement instruments can be done in place and the downtime for the instrument hence decreased. Also in nanoparticle toxicity experiments it is very important to have a well characterised particle source [1]. The aim of this study was to develop a calibrated nanoparticle generator with stable particle production. The number concentration should be regulated over many orders of magnitude and the particle size should also be adjustable. In this paper the design of the nanoparticle generator and the properties of the produced nanoparticles at one furnace temperature are presented.

An increasing number of experimental and theoretical studies focus on airborne nanoparticles (NP) in relation with many aspects of risk assessment to move forward our understanding of the hazards, the actual exposures in the workplace, and the limits of engineering controls and personal protective equipment with regard to NP. As a consequence, generating airborne NP with controlled properties constitutes an important challenge. In parallel, toxicological studies have been carried out, and most of them support the concept that surface-area could be a relevant metric for characterizing exposure to airborne NP [1]. To provide NP surface-area concentration measurements, some direct-reading instruments have been designed, based on attachment rate of unipolar ions to NP by diffusion. However, very few information is available concerning the performances of these instruments and the parameters that could affect their responses.

In this context, our work aims at characterizing the actual available instruments providing airborne NP surface-area concentration. The instruments (a- LQ1-DC, Matter Engineering; b-AeroTrak^™ 9000, TSI; c- NSAM, TSI model 3550;) are thought to be relevant for further workplace exposure characterization and monitoring. To achieve our work, an experimental facility (named CAIMAN) was specially designed, built and characterized.

A major challenge in aerosol technology is the fast measurement of number size distributions with good accuracy and size resolution. The dedicated instruments are frequently based on particle charging and electric detection. Established fast systems, however, still feature a number of shortcomings. We have developed a new instrument that constitutes of a high flow Differential Mobility Analyser (high flow DMA) and a high sensitivity Faraday Cup Electrometer (FCE). The system enables variable flow rates of up to 150 lpm, and the scan time for size distribution can be shortened considerably due to the short residence time of the particles in the DMA. Three different electrodes can be employed in order to cover a large size range. First test results demonstrate that the scan time can be reduced to less than 1 s for small particles, and that the results from the fast scans feature no significant difference to the results from established slow method. The fields of application for the new instrument comprise the precise monitoring of fast processes with nanoparticles, including monitoring of engine exhaust in automotive research.

Epidemiological studies show an association between the concentration of ultrafine particles in the atmosphere and the rate of mortality or morbidity due to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. For the quantitative assessment of the toxicity of airborne nanoparticles the dose–response relationship is tested in in vitro test systems using bioassays of cell cultures as sensor.

For the air-liquid interface exposure of cell cultures towards aerosols the Karlsruhe exposure system was developed. The human lung cell cultures are exposed in VITROCELL® system modules with a constant flow of the conditioned aerosol. After exposure the cells are analyzed to measure the biological responses such as viability, inflammatory or oxidative stress. For the determination of the dose response relationship the accurate knowledge of the deposited particle mass is essential. A new online method is developed in the Karlsruhe exposure system: the sensor of a quartz crystal microbalance is placed in an exposure chamber instead of the membrane insert and exposed to the aerosol in the same way as the cell cultures. The deposited mass per area unit is monitored as a function of exposure time showing a linear relationship for a constant aerosol flow with defined particle concentration.

A comparison of this new dose signal to a dosimetry method using fluorescein sodium particles shows a very good correlation between the sensor signal of the quartz crystal microbalance and the deposited mass on the membranes shown by spectroscopy. This system for the first time provides an online dose measurement for in vitro experiments with nanoparticles.

Currently, there is a lack of standardized sampling and metric methods that can be applied to measure the level of exposure to nanosized aerosols. Therefore, any attempt to characterize exposure to nanoparticles (NP) in a workplace must involve a multifaceted approach characterized by different sampling and analytical techniques to measure all relevant characteristics of NP exposure. Furthermore, as NP aerosols are always complex mixtures of multiple origins, sampling and analytical methods need to be improved to selectively evaluate the apportionment from specific sources to the final nanomaterials.

An open question at the world's level is how to relate specific toxic effects of NP with one or more among several different parameters (such as particle size, mass, composition, surface area, number concentration, aggregation or agglomeration state, water solubility and surface chemistry).

As the evaluation of occupational exposure to NP in workplaces needs dimensional and chemical characterization, the main problem is the choice of the sampling and dimensional separation techniques. Therefore a convenient approach to allow a satisfactory risk assessment could be the contemporary use of different sampling and measuring techniques for particles with known toxicity in selected workplaces.

Despite the lack of specific NP exposure limit values, exposure metrics, appropriate to nanoaerosols, are discussed in the Technical Report ISO/TR 27628:2007 with the aim to enable occupational hygienists to characterize and monitor nanoaerosols in workplaces. Moreover, NIOSH has developed the Document Approaches to Safe Nanotechnology (intended to be an information exchange with NIOSH) in order to address current and future research needs to understanding the potential risks that nanotechnology may have to workers.

The aim of this work is to evaluate the ability of conventional particle detection like SMPS tools calibrated for spherical particles to measure CNTs which present both a nanometre and a micrometre size. Using such conventional measurement tools for the detection of CNTs would be of particular interest. The SMPS gives numbers in terms of concentration and electrical mobility diameter. A theoretical approach is first explored in order to predict the spherical equivalent diameter for CNTs as seen by a SMPS. Experimental measurements were performed in order to validate the theoretical estimations.

There is a growing industry fabricating products that are based on nanoparticles (particle diameter d_p≤100 nm). The production of these particles requires detection, classification and characterisation of even smaller particles because of, e.g. preventing unwanted particle emissions from the processes and health issues. Monitoring of the processes is needed on one hand for product quality determinations, on the other hand to ensure safe and particle-free working conditions. Thus simple, fast and reliable measurement devices are needed for particle characterisation.

To assess potential health risks of nanoparticles by means of in vitro or in vivo assays and to determine dose-action curves a defined and reproducible method of particle administration is required. The interpretation of the toxicological results should be based on a comprehensive chemical-physical characterization of the particles used. Therefore, we developed a method to suspend nanoparticles stably and homogenously in physiological media. Our approach consist of three steps: (1) physical-chemical characterisation of the powders as delivered, (2) preparation and characterization of a non-physiological electro-statically stabilized nanoparticle suspension and (3) assessment of the nanoparticles behaviour in physiological media with or without proteins. This approach is demonstrated on a titanium dioxide and a tungsten carbide nanopowder. Results showed that particles agglomerate in protein-free medium within minutes, whereas in the presence of bovine serum albumin or foetal bovine serum an agglomeration is hindered.

Nanoparticles of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) were synthesized by the laser pyrolysis method at pilot scale using an organometallic aerosol injected in the reactor. In order to secure the global process of nanoparticle production, we investigate the liquid recovery of the raw powders.

The goal was to recover the nanopowders directly in water at the exit of the reaction zone mainly for safety reasons. For that, the dispersion of TiO₂ nanopowder in water using a dispersing agent was optimized and comparison of the powder characteristics produced after a dry or a liquid recovery was done.

A strong release limitation of single nanoparticles from commercial manufactured "nanoproducts" is necessary to decrease potential exposure risks of consumers and represents also a pragmatic way to facilitate acceptance for nanomaterial commercialization before obtaining definitive toxicological results. So, it is of prime importance to know how to characterize the release of small materials during usage solicitations such as mechanical, thermal, UV stress: are they single nanoparticles, aggregates or nanoparticles included in a bigger piece of the matrix?

In the frame of NanoSafe2 project, CEA developed and qualified a specific bench test where the material to be tested is mechanically solicited by abrasion using a normalized Taber equipment. The first results show that nanofillers can be released in usage by abrasion for non optimised nanoproducts.

The rapidly developing field of nanotechnologies presents many opportunities and benefits for new materials with significantly improved properties as well as revolutionary applications in the fields of materials, energy, environment, medicine, etc. Nevertheless, this new industry can rapidly compete with microelectronics or automotive in terms of annual turnover only if the nanoproducts are well accepted by consumers.

Labelling the nanoproducts as "nanomaterials" is one of the prerequisite conditions for market acceptance. One approach consists in encouraging manufacturers to insert labels since the nanoparticles synthesis, at the last step of the production reactors, in order to give consumers useful information related to nano-fillers contained in commercial products. The first level of information could be the specification of the presence of nanoparticles in the product: a kind of tag indicating "nanomaterials inside".

The second level of labelling could supply more complex information such as: the type of nanoparticles, the manufacturer name, the batch number, the toxicity class, etc. In European Nanosafe2 project, two main routes have been investigated: the previous one is using biomarkers based tracers. In that case the information is available thanks to conventional biological methods.

The second way requests fluorescent nanotracers which are less powerful in terms of data storage but may be more resistant against chemicals, temperature, UV aggressions and could be red in a few seconds by field operational portable decoding devices.

For economical reasons it is necessary to introduce a very small quantity of tracers in the nanoparticles. Nevertheless, for certain applications for which a high purity level of the nanoparticles is requested (e.g. microelectronics) this small amount can be redhibitory.

While emerging nanotechnologies have seen significant development in recent years, knowledge on exposure levels as well as data on toxicity of nanoparticles are still quite limited. Indeed, there is a general agreement that development of nanotechnologies may lead to considerable dissemination of nanoparticles in the environment. Nevertheless, questions relative to toxicity versus innocuousness of such materials still remain.

Our present study has thus been carried out with the purpose of assessing some aspects of toxicological capacities of three kinds of nano-sized particles: TiO₂ and SiC nanoparticles, as well as multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT). In order to address the question of their potential toxicity toward living cells, we chose several cellular models. Assuming inhalation as the most probable exposure scenario, we used A549 alveolar epithelial cells as a model for mammalian primary target organ (lung). Furthermore, we considered that nanoparticles that would deposit into the pulmonary system may be translocated to the circulatory system. Thus, we decided to study the effect of nanoparticles on potentially secondary target organs: liver (WIF-B9, Can-10, HepG2) and kidneys (NRK-52E, LLC-PK1). Herein, we will focus our attention on results obtained on the HepG2 cell line exposed to SiC nanoparticles. Scarce literature exists on SiC nanotoxicology. According to the authors that have already carried out studies on this particular nanoparticle, it would seem that SiC nanoparticles do not induce cytotoxicity. That is one of the reasons of the potential use of these nanoparticles as biological labels [1]. We thus were interested in acquiring more data on biological effects induced by SiC nanoparticles. Furthermore, one of the particular aspects of the present study lies in the fact that we tried to specify the influence of physico-chemical characteristics of nanoparticles on toxicological endpoints (cytotoxicity and genotoxicity).

Within NanoSafe2 we developed a special inhalation model to investigate deposition of inhaled particles in the lung and the further distribution in the body after. Concurrently, the effects of the inhaled materials in the lung were examined. The results for nano-Titania were compared to results from inhalation studies with micron-sized (non-nano) Titania particles and to quartz particles (DQ12, known to be potent lung toxicants). To build a PBPK model for nano-Titania the tissue distribution of the material was also examined following intravenous (i.v.) administration.

Organisms of daphnia (Daphnia magna) and zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos were exposed to a range of different concentrations of COOH-functionalized MWCNT suspended in an aqueous solution of Tween 20. Immobilization of daphnia and growth retardation, inhibition and malformation of zebrafish embryos were the endpoints tested after 24 and 48 hours. Immobilization of daphnia could be observed from 3 to 16 ppm and an increasing mortality of zebrafish embryo was detected at all the concentration tested. To identify more subtle toxic effects, we took advantage of the extensive information available on the zebrafish genome and monitored by RT-PCR the expression patterns of different zebrafish genes that could act as toxicity bio-markers. At some of the concentrations tested, changes in the expression profiles of the genes examined were detected. Our results suggest that MWCNT could potentially represent a risk to human health and environment, therefore a wider range of concentrations and further testing of this molecules should be carried out to define possible limitations in their use.

In vitro tests on magnetite colloidal nanoparticles effects upon animal red blood cells were carried out. Magnetite cores were stabilized with citric acid in the form of biocompatible magnetic fluid administrated in different dilutions in the whole blood samples. The hemolysis extent was found increased up to 2.75 in horse blood and respectively up to 2.81 in the dog blood. The electronic transitions assigned to the heme group were found shifted with about 500 cm^-1 or, respectively, affected by supplementary vibronic structures. The Raman vibrations assigned to oxyhemoglobin were much diminished in intensity probably due to the bonding of OH group from citrate shell to the heme iron ion.

Objective was to characterize the antibacterial action for six combination of PHU-AgNO₃ synthesized in "Petru Poni" Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Iasi, Romania. The advantages of Ag nanoparticles are durability, heat resistant, low toxicity. Silver is known for its antibacterial qualities for a long time and has been used in medicine in topical treatment.

Over the past few years, Quantum Dots have been tested in most biotechnological applications that use fluorescence, including DNA array technology, immunofluorescence assays, cell and animal biology. Quantum Dots tend to be brighter than conventional dyes, because of the compounded effects of extinction coefficients that are an order of magnitude larger than those of most dyes. Their main advantage resides in their resistance to bleaching over long periods of time (minutes to hours), allowing the acquisition of images that are crisp and well contrasted. This increased photostability is especially useful for three-dimensional (3D) optical sectioning, where a major issue is bleaching of fluorophores during acquisition of successive z-sections, which compromises the correct reconstruction of 3D structures. The long-term stability and brightness of Quantum Dots make them ideal candidates also for live animal targeting and imaging. The vast majority of the papers published to date have shown no relevant effects on cells viability at the concentration used for imaging applications; higher concentrations, however, caused some issues on embryonic development. Adverse effects are due to be caused by the release of cadmium, as surface PEGylation of the Quantum Dots reduces these issues. A recently published paper shows evidences of an epigenetic effect of Quantum Dots treatment, with general histones hypoacetylation, and a translocation to the nucleus of p53. In this study, mice treated with Quantum Dots for imaging purposes were analyzed to investigate the impact on protein expression and networking. Differential mono-and bidimensional electrophoresis assays were performed, with the individuation of differentially expressed proteins after intravenous injection and imaging analysis; further, as several authors indicate an increase in reactive oxygen species as a possible mean of damage due to the Quantum Dots treatment, we investigated the signalling pathway of APE1/Ref1, a protein involved in the response to oxidative stress. Our results, although preliminary, suggest several interesting point of discussion on Quantum Dots imaging for in vivo diagnostic application, but also for a new therapeutic approach.

Different TiO₂ and SiO₂ nanoparticles have been tested concerning their toxicity on selected mammalian cell lines. Various powders and suspensions, all of which consist of titanium or silicon dioxide nanoparticles have been examined. These particles differ in the crystal structure, the size and the BET-surface area. There was also a classification in fixed particles and in particles easily accessible in solution. With focus on the possible adsorption of the nanoparticles into the human organism, via skin and via respiratory tract, the effects on fibroblasts (NIH-3T3) and on a human lung adenocarcinoma epithelial cell line were examined. Additionally, the particles were tested with HEP-G2 cells, which are often used as model cell line for biocompatibility tests, and PC-12 cells, a rat adrenal pheochromocytoma cell line.

The viability of the cells was examined by the MTT-test. The viability results were found to partly depend on the type of cells used. The experimental results show that the adhesion of the cells on the different powders strongly depends on the type of cell lines as well as on the type of powder. It was found that the lower viability of some cells on the powder coatings is not only caused by a cytotoxicity effect of the powders, but is also due to a lower adhesion of the cells on the particle surfaces. Furthermore, it could be shown that the physical properties of the powders cannot be easily correlated to any observed biological effect. While some powders show a significant suppression of the cell growth, others with similar physical properties indicate no toxic effect.

How can we guarantee the containment of ultrafine particles but also implement the ergonomic and handling constraints voiced by researchers? This is the equation that the engineers at FAURE INGENIERIE had to resolve to develop the first barrier protection equipment for nanoparticle research.

There seems to be common agreement that PM10 is a suboptimal quantity for the quantification of potential dangers from fine dust due to a number of reasons, notably because the chemical composition of the particles is not considered, because the size distribution is disregarded, and because of sampling artefacts. In a first step for improving the particle measurements, the European Community has published new directives for ambient air in June 2008 (EU 2008), which as a main part included new regulations for PM2.5 measurements, in addition to the further on valid regulations for PM10. The comparison of PM2.5 and PM10 may allow a source apportionment and a better assessment of the influence of fine dust on human health. The source apportionment may allow more effective fine dust reduction strategies.

In this study different conventional individual protection devices, well-qualified for submicron particles were tested for different types of polydispersed nanoaerosols of TiO₂, Pt and graphite ranging from 10 to 75 nm (electrical mobility diameter). For that purpose two specific test benches were used: one for the filter-based devices which are tested under a controlled air flow and the other one for protective clothing and gloves under diffusion and without air flow.

The more than 30 years since the inception of the High Efficiency Particulate Air filters (HEPA) provide an incredible story. The filter's application to nuclear air cleaning and reciprocal effect on nuclear programme upon its development is even more interesting. The HEPA filter provided the capacity needed to intercept extremely small particulate matter in the airstreams of nuclear plants and laboratories. When some of the particulate matter potentially might be plutonium or other alpha radiation bearing particles in the air exhausted to the environment, the critical importance of the filter becomes obvious. From a crude and weak initial concept, the HEPA filter has developed into the backbone of particulate air cleaning for nuclear ends and has become most essential to environmental cleaning for other industrial pursuits as well.

In the nuclear industry, High Efficiency Particulate Air filters (HEPA) were the need for the containment of radioactive aerosols within the nuclear facilities. Air filtration theory has been very important in the development of HEPA filters. The early air filtration theories model air filters as the air flow around single fibres and the particle capture by these single fibres. The single fibre theories included the interference effect of neighbouring fibres by using cell flow models. Equations were derived to describe particle capture efficiency as function of system variables (air flow temperature and pressure), particle variables (size, density...) and filter characteristics (fibre diameter, fibre volume fraction, filter thickness...).

Consolidation of nano-particles into micron-sized granules reduces the potential risks associated with handling nano-powders in dry form. Spray drying is a one step granulation technique which can be designed for safe production of free flowing low dusty granules from suspensions of nano-particles. Spray dried granules are well suited for subsequent processing into final products where the superior properties given by the nano-particles are retained. A spray drier with bag filters inside the drying chamber and recycling of drying gas combined with containment valves are proposed as a safe process for granulation of potential hazardous nano-particles.

The aim of this work is first to measured nanoparticles penetration through three different fiberglass filters intentionally-pierced with calibrated needles at different filtration velocity. Then a semi-empirical model based on the air flow resistances of the new and perforated filter media and on the mechanism of Brownian diffusion for the collection of ultrafine particles by the media enables to well predict the efficiency observed for all tested operating conditions. Results show that the increase of particles penetration is all the more important that the pinhole is large and that the particle diameter is low. Another result is that the filtration efficiency of the new filter media controlled the penetration. A high efficiency filter with a high resistance to air flow will be more damaged than a low efficiency filter when being perforated.

Nanomaterials have several valuable properties and are widely used for various practical applications. However, safety matters are suspected such as the influence on health and environment, and fire & explosion hazards. To minimize the risk of nanomaterials, appropriate understanding of these hazards is indispensable. Nanoparticles of combustible materials have potential hazard of dust explosion accidents. However, the explosion risk of nanomaterials has not yet been understood adequately because of the lack of data for nanomaterials. In this presentation, the risk of dust explosions of nanomaterials is discussed.

To estimate the potential risk of nano materials, correlations were investigated between material properties and various biomarkers indicating adverse effects on humans. Nano materials have a variety of properties such as solubility, iso-electric point, crystal shape, BET specific surface area and so on. The purpose of our work was to predict relationships between material properties and hazard data by undertaking statistical survey of eleven papers arguing cell viability assays.

The reviewed papers associate cytotoxicity (i) mainly with particle volume and (ii) a certain degree with particle solubility, with relatively large variability of toxicological responses. At present nanomaterials are often very broadly named, defined and categorized based upon only their chief chemical composition or product shape – e.g., "titanium," "carbon black," "nano tubes," etc. Such rough, imprecise categorization serves little or no useful purpose when attempting risk assessments for every nano material produced differently, since even materials with the same name can possess different properties and consequently different degrees of hazards.

Nanoparticles exhibit properties different from those of the same bulk materials leading to unknown toxicological implications that have evoked concern for (1) occupational, (2) consumer and (3) environmental safety.

The current work utilizes epidemiological and toxicological data for screening level assessment of these risks using various suggested health relevant dose metrics (mass, particle number and surface area) to (i) quantify the potential risk levels and to (ii) compare the properties of these alternative risk assessment methods.

Emerging nanomanufactured products are being incorporated in a variety of consumer products ranging from closer body contact products (i.e. cosmetics, sunscreens, toothpastes, pharmaceuticals, clothing) to more remote body-contact products (electronics, plastics, tires, automotive and aeronautical), hence posing potential health and environmental risks. The new field of nanosafety has emerged and needs to be explored now rather than after problems becomes so ubiquitous and difficult to treat that their trend become irreversible. Such endeavour necessitates a transdisciplinary approach.

A commonly forgotten and/or misunderstood risk is that of explosion/detonation of nanopowders, due to their high specific active surface areas. Such risk is emphasized and illustrated with the present development of an appropriate risk analysis. For this particular risk, a review of characterization methods and their limitations with regard to nanopowders is presented and illustrated for a few organic and metallic nanopowders.

With rising interest of nano technology R&D, nano risk researches have been greatly studied recently. They attract much attention since influence of nano products in the society is not well-known. Now the current state of nano risk research field is not fully investigated, and the object is overviewing this structure until 2008 and predicting the direction of next-coming studies. Nano risk 1611 papers were searched out with certain query and further refinement. And these papers were clustered by bibliometric method. The selected papers were clustered to seven parts and visually seen as aggregated blocks. Each cluster was labeled with proper name by analyzing in detail and the content of each cluster was classified with three terms, i.e. "Material", "Hazard" and "Kinetics". The biggest cluster was cluster #0 "atmospheric nanoparticles", and secondly cluster #1 "nanoparticles used in imaging", thirdly cluster #2 "toxicity of manufactured nano materials". Furthermore, historical trend of the number of papers of each cluster was studied year by year. From the all results, short-term future predicting was performed by examining titles of papers or transition of the number of papers in each cluster and by watching the cluster position and gaps between clusters.

The NANOFEU project supported by the French Research Agency (ANR) aims to characterise the fire behaviour of nanoparticles filled polymer materials. Day after day, new applications of nanoparticles appear in industry. Among multiple applications in various domains, the role played by nanostructures particularly in combustion and flame retardancy phenomena needs to be quantified by modelling, experimental and numerical validations, since the use of these new components is increasing to upgrade polymer performances. Their employment could represent nowadays a valuable alternative or could be used in synergy with the conventional flame retardants systems. Nanocomposites based on several categories of polymers will be designed, incorporating suitable nanoparticles. Multiscale modelling of material, investigation of thermal degradation processes, and influence of interfacial modifications of nanoparticles, characterisation of effluents, particles released (size and morphology) and smoke toxicity will be made, developing original experimental and numerical means. We will particularly focus on fire performance, smoke toxicity and morphological modification of particles in the effluents, to weight the various impacts of the introduction of these nanofillers. A traceability of nanoparticles affected by combustion will be done through the analysis of effluents. In a first part, this paper includes a detailed presentation of the project by clarifying the partners' roles and objectives expected at the end of the project. In a second part, the foreseen experimental and numerical tools will be developed in order to improve the knowledge of mechanisms involved in combustion.

The development and use of nanomaterials has grown widely in the last years. Hence, it is necessary to carry out a careful and aimed risk assessment for the safety of the workers.

The objective of this research is a specific assessment model finalized to the workplaces where the personnel work manipulating nanoparticles. This model mainly takes into account the number of exposed workers, the dimensions of particles, the information found in the safety data sheets and the uncertainties about the danger level coming from the exposition to nanomaterials. The evaluation algorithm considers the normal work conditions, the abnormal (e.g. breakdown air filter) and emergency situations (e.g. package cracking). It has been necessary to define several risk conditions in order to quantify the risk by increasing levels ("low", "middle" and "high" level). Each level includes appropriate behavioural procedures. In particular for the high level, it is advisable that the user carries out urgent interventions finalized to reduce the risk level (e.g. the utilization of vacuum box for the manipulation, high efficiency protection PPE, etc). The model has been implemented in a research laboratory where titanium dioxide and carbon nanotubes are used. The outcomes taken out from such specific evaluation gave a risk level equal to middle.

Standardisation and standards provide an important mechanism to support both innovation and the application of regulations. There is currently no specific regulation for any nanomaterials. Health, safety and environmental protection aspects associated with nanomaterials are however in principle covered to different levels by current EU regulatory framework. There are a number of national, European and international organisations developing standards associated with the development, description and use of nanomaterials as well as the protection of human health and the environment from the production and use of chemicals and consumer products, including nanomaterials. These organisations have also established specific committees on nanotechnology. This paper outlines the different relevant regulations and standards. This paper will mainly be focused on a European health and safety perspective.

Health, safety and environmental (HSE) risks of a technology is an inseparable part of it which threatens all exposed employees. It has been proved for many years that exposure to particles, in an occupational setting, could be linked with the onset of lung diseases, such as pneumoconiosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and mesotelioma and lung cancer. Nanoparticles, due to their unique characteristics including; small size, shape, high surface area, charge, chemical properties, solubility, and degree of agglomeration can cross cell boundaries or pass directly from the lungs into the blood stream and ultimately reach to all of the organs in the body. This is the reason why they may pose higher risk than the same mass and material of larger particles. Moreover, biodegradation of nanoparticles by some kinds of fungi (like wood decay fungi) may result in metabolites which may be toxic to microorganisms under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Bacteria and living cells can take up nanoparticles, providing the basis for potential bioaccumulation in the food chain. Considering Iran's prominent position in nanotechnologies and fast-growing in research and industrial activities, controlling nanoparticles related HSE risks should be highly considered. In general, there are three main approaches to risk and exposure control: engineering techniques, administrative means and personal protective equipments. These complementary approaches especially engineering techniques should be considered starting with the design stage of an industrial process. Administrative means of control constitute an additional approach when the other methods have not achieved the expected control levels. Administrative means of control must never substitute for engineering techniques, which always be performed according to standard practices. In some situations, due to insufficiently advanced technology and prohibitive costs, engineering measerus can not be implemended. In these situations, performing administrative means of control constitute other ways of limiaiting the occupational exposure risks. Accordingly, to minimize the risks from know and unknown health, safety and invironment hazards in research and occupational setting of the country, guideline for safe handling, use and disposal of manopractical has provided.

Nanotechnology is increasingly considered to be the future technology. It will enable science and industry to provide new and better product solutions for the society. NanoCare is a German project, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), which aims to broaden knowledge about synthetic nanomaterials with regard to the potential impacts of nanomaterials on human health. 13 partners from industry, universities and research institutes are contributing their expertise to this partnership.

The work plan of the NanoCare project is composed of three different parts: (1) the generation, (2) the management, and (3) the transfer of knowledge. The production of synthetic nanoparticles, the subsequent analysis of primary particles, aggregates and agglomerates, as well as the behaviour in biological media and effects on biological systems are focused in the generation of knowledge. In addition to the production and characterization of new synthetic nanoparticles (metal oxides like zirconium dioxide or zinc oxide), titanium dioxide and Carbon Black will be established as reference materials. This enables the comparison of the results of all partners of our project. Various analytical methods for characterization will be applied, for example: transmission and scanning electron microscopy, inductive coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS), atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and the Brunner-Edward-Teller method (BET). In vitro studies will systematically investigate biological mechanisms of action of nanoparticles and the dependency on their size, shape, zeta potential and other important properties. In vitro data will be complemented by in vivo studies. Another work package deals with the measurement of working place exposure and agglomerate stabilities. Established measurement devices and methods will be developed further in order to determine aerosols and nanoparticles directly at the workplace during ongoing work processes. The stabilities of the agglomerated nanoparticle powders are additionally investigated with three different methods to assess deagglomeration probabilities which also influence the possible exposure. Data created within the NanoCare project consortium will be interpreted together with information from literature and then published for the public in a data base on the World Wide Web (www.nanopartikel.info). Furthermore, the results will be presented and discussed with the interested public, politicians and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) at dialogue events. Together with two other BMBF-funded projects (INOS, TRACER) NanoCare will help to standardize analytical procedures and will substantially increase knowledge about the biological activities of nanomaterials.

Nanoparticles (NPs) have unique, potentially beneficial properties, but their possible impact on human health is still not known. The area of nanomedicine brings humans into direct contact with NPs and it is essential for both public confidence and the nanotech companies that appropriate risk assessments are undertaken in relation to health and safety. There is a pressing need to understand how engineered NPs can interact with the human body following exposure. The FP7 project NanoTEST (www.nanotest-fp7.eu) addresses these requirements in relation to the toxicological profile of NPs used in medical diagnostics.

The importance of understanding the interactions between nanoscale materials and living matter has now begun to be appreciated by an extraordinaryly large range of stakeholders, including researchers, industry, governments and society, all of whom appreciate both the opportunities presented by and challenges raised by this arena of research. Not only does it open up new directions in nanomedicine and nanodiagnostics, but it also offers the chance to implement nanotechnology across all industry in a safe and responsible manner. The underlying reasons for this arena as a new scientific paradigm are real and durable. Less than 100 nm nanoparticles can enter cells, less that 40 nm they can enter cell nucleus, and less that 35 nm they can pass through the blood brain barrier. These are fundamental length scales of biological relevance that will ensure that engineered nanoscience will impinge on biology and medicine for many decades to come.

One important issue is the current lack of reproducibility of the outcomes of many experiments in this arena. Differences are likely a consequence of such things as uncontrolled nanoparticle aggregation leading to unpredictable doses being presented to cells, interference of the nanoparticles themselves with many of the tests being applied, differences in the degree of confluency of the cells used, and a host of other factors.

NanoInteract has shown how careful control of all aspects of the test system, combined with round robin type approaches, can help resolve these issues and begin to ensure that the field can become a quantitative science. The basic principle of NanoInteract is that given identical nanomaterials, cells and biological materials, and using a common protocol, experiments must yield identical answers. Thus, any deviations result from errors in (applying) the protocol which can be tracked and eliminated, until quantitatively reproducible results are obtained by any researcher in any location. This paper outlines the NanoInteract programme, illustrates key advances, and highlights early successes. (www.nanointeract.net)