Grant Agreement no. 280716. 7^th FP European Project: Worker protection and exposure risk management strategies for nanomaterial production, use and disposal – closed in 2015

The main goal of Sanowork project is to identify a safe occupational exposure scenario by exposure assessment in real conditions and at all stages of nanomaterials (NM) production, use and disposal. In order to address this and more specifically the issues introduced by NMP.2011.1.3-2 call, we intend to:

1. contain hazard and worker exposure potential by developing exposure mitigation strategy based on ‘‘Prevention through Design’’ approach.
2. implement a rigorous exposure assessment in the workplace in order to evaluate the effectiveness of existing and proposed exposure reduction strategies.
3. perform risk analysis off line and on site in order to identify substance product properties and operational condition that ensure a safer worker exposure scenario.
4. Assess COST/ EFFICIENCY of the proposed strategies on the basis of risk analysis results, materials/properties efficiency, risk transfer to insurance underwriter community.

The Sanowork proposed risk remediation strategy will be applied to nanomaterial properties. The following “representative” pool of NM and nanoproducts have been selected: TiO2 and Ag (ceramic or textile photocatalytic/antibacterial surfaces); CNTs (polymeric nanocomposites); organic/inorganic nanofibers (nanostructured membranes for water depuration system). The strategy is addressed to mitigate risk by decreasing adverse health hazard and emission potential of nanomaterials, setting back processes of transport to the point of entry. A sound balance between exposure and health hazards data, before and after the introduction of existing and proposed risk remediation strategies, will allow to evaluate the effectiveness of existing and proposed exposure reduction strategies. The cooperation with industrial key partners such as Plasmachem, Elmarco, GEA Niro, Colorobbia, Bayer will guarantee an accurate exposure assessment in the workplace.