WP4

Safe by process design: exposure assessment / risk management

Objective

This package sets to develop new integrated tools for exposure assessment and risk management, based on existing and newly developed models, to predict the potential release, exposure and effectiveness of engineering controls (ECs) and Risk Management Measures (RMMs) under real scenarios.

Activities

This package will work on the generation of refined tools for an exposure-driven decision based on the exploration of exposure-material and exposure-process relationships. To this end, new libraries of Phys-Chem properties (like dustiness), RMM efficacy, release/emission, and exposure data will be used to derive nano-specific release factors that will be coupled with existing nano-specific models for a refined exposure estimation at different life cycle stages, and a new model to support the definition of performance bands for personal protective equipment and engineering controls.

Scheduled tasks include: the collation of new data on dustiness, release and exposure on a life cycle basis to complement the available databases and exposure data libraries, the development of a fit-for-purpose nano-specific exposure model based on available databases, existing (qualitative) screening tools and human exposure-reduction factors for common RMMs implemented in the Exposure Control Efficacy Library (ECEL) under, the development of RMM performance model to estimate the effectiveness of technical measures (ventilation and containment) and personal protective equipment when dealing with engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) and/or nano-enabled products (NEPs) considering nano-specific data on the RMMs effectiveness and predicted data on the concentration and behaviour of ENMs subjected to turbulent transport, deposition and aggregation under, and the analysis of the economic costs for implementing safe by process design approaches. A stakeholder workshop to test the models and match with stakeholder needs in terms of guidance and user-friendliness will be organized.

Key Outcome

To develop refined tools for an exposure driven decision and libraries of release/emission/exposure-reduction factors. A new model for RMM performance testing based on the combination of the nano-specific ECEL with a RMM efficiency modelling approach.

Work Package Leader

TNO – Nederlandse organisatie voor toegepast natuurwetenschappelijk onderzoek