Engineered nanoparticles : Chemical substances and biological agents

An initial assessment of the state of scientific knowledge about the occupational health and safety aspects (OHS) related to synthetic nanoparticles (NP) was published by the IRSST in 2006 and covered the scientific literature until the end of 2004. [...] In a context of incomplete data for the majority of nanometric substances, it remains impossible to quantify the risks for workers in the majority of situations because the toxicity of the products, the level of dust contamination of workplaces, or their potential to cause fires or explosions remain not extensively documented or totally undocumented. [...] This information was particularly useful in documenting the toxicity of nanoparticles; • an Internet search, primarily to document (i) the types of processes facilitating the manufacture of these products, and (ii) the description of these products, their properties and their potential uses; • the use of scientific reviews by recognized committees of international experts in the fields of nanopart [...] The creation of the US Nanobusiness Alliance, the Europe Nanobusiness Association and the Asia-Pacific Nanotechnology Forum, whose shared objective is to commercialize nanoproducts, is a good illustration of both the significance attributed to these markets and of international competition in the field. [...] The bottom-up approach seems richer, in that it allows production of a greater diversity of architectures and often better control of the nanometric state (relatively monodispersed granulometric sizes and distribution, positioning of the molecules, homogeneity of the products).