AAAR 32nd Annual Conference
September 30 - October 4, 2013
Oregon Convention Center
Portland, Oregon, USA
Abstract View
Potential Consumer Exposure to Airborne Ag and Zn Nanoparticles due to the Use of Nanotechnology-enabled Consumer Sprays
LEONARDO CALDERÓN, Taewon Han, Prasad Subramaniam, Yevgen Nazarenko, Kibum Lee, Jim Zhang, Gediminas Mainelis, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Abstract Number: 411 Working Group: Aerosol Exposure
Abstract A variety of consumer products made with nanotechnology are commercialized worldwide. Studies had shown that nanomaterials have potential negative effects on human health. Despite these concerns, new spray products are released with little information on their aerodynamic size distribution, shape, concentration and other characteristics of particles to which consumers could be exposed.
The objective was to characterize size distributions, shape and agglomeration of particles released due to the use of nanotechnology-based silver and zinc sprays in order to understand their potential for inhalation exposure.
A total of 19 nanotechnology products, 13 containing silver and 6 with zinc, were characterized using three different aerosolization methods. C-Flow® and Collison® nebulizers were used to aerosolize the sprays. A test system was also built to analyze aerosol production using sprayers included with each product. Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) and Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS) were used to analyze particle size distribution and concentration of the aerosols generated from the products. A Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) was utilized to examine the shape and agglomeration of particles captured from the airborne state using an electrostatic precipitator.
A production of nano-sized and micro-sized particles by the two nebulizing methods and by the product sprayer was found during experimentation with all products. The concentration in the nano-sized region ranged from 10$^2 to 10$^6 #/cm$^3 for Ag and 10$^2 to 10$^5 #/cm$^3 for Zn. Collison® nebulizer produced more number of nano particles per cubic centimeter than C-Flow® and sprayers. Images from the TEM analysis showed individual nano-sized particles and micro-sized agglomerates.
The results showed that the highest deposition by number of inhaled nanomaterial particles would be in the alveoli. Based on particle surface and volume considerable proportion of the inhaled particles would be found at the head airways as agglomerates. Some deposition would occur in tracheobronchial and alveolar region.