The Release and Resuspension of Airborne Nanoparticles from Nano-enabled Consumer Sprays
RUIKANG HE, Jie Zhang, Gediminas Mainelis,
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Abstract Number: 400
Working Group: Nanoparticles and Materials Synthesis
AbstractWith the increasing application of nanotechnology, many nano-enabled consumer products have been introduced into the market. Unfortunately, studies have shown that consumers could be exposed to airborne nanoparticles and their agglomerates stemming from such products, thus increasing the potential for negative health effects.
This study investigated the release and resuspension of particles from surfaces due to the application of three Ag-based, three Zn-based, and one Cu-based consumer sprays used indoors, focusing on nano-sized particles. The release and resuspension of particles were investigated in a newly-constructed 2.8×1.6×2.4 m
3 chamber with either carpet or vinyl flooring. Particles were sprayed at 1.1 m height and, after settling, they were resuspended by a walking adult. The resuspended particles were measured at 0.3 m height with a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer 3986 (SMPS) and an Aerodynamic Particle Sizer 3321 (APS) (both by TSI, Inc., Shoreview, MN, USA) in a combined size range of 14 to 20,000 nm.
For particles smaller than 100 nm, the number concentration reached as high as 10
9 /m
3 during spraying and up to 10
8 /m
3 during resuspension, and the concentrations varied among different products. For particles < 50 nm, higher concentrations were resuspended from the vinyl surface than from the carpet. The resuspension from the carpet resulted in higher particle number concentrations than from vinyl for particles between 50 and 1000 nm. Moreover, according to the composition analysis, Ag, Zn, and Cu were detected in the sprayed and resuspended particles, including nano-sized particles.
The results suggest that for consumer products both labeled and not labeled as nanotechnology-based, the spray and resuspension of the product can release airborne nanoparticles. Furthermore, the number concentration of resuspended particles depends on the product type and flooring materials.