Occupational Exposure during the Production and the Spray Deposition of Graphene Nanoplatelets-Based Polymeric Coatings
Irene Bellagamba,
Fabio Boccuni,
Riccardo Ferrante,
Francesca Tombolini,
Claudio Natale,
Fabrizio Marra,
Maria Sabrina Sarto,
Sergio Iavicoli
Affiliations
Irene Bellagamba
Research Center for Nanotechnology Applied to Engineering (CNIS), Sapienza University of Rome, I-00185 Rome, Italy
Fabio Boccuni
Italian Workers’ Compensation Authority—Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, Via Fontana Candida 1, I-00078 Rome, Italy
Riccardo Ferrante
Italian Workers’ Compensation Authority—Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, Via Fontana Candida 1, I-00078 Rome, Italy
Francesca Tombolini
Italian Workers’ Compensation Authority—Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, Via Fontana Candida 1, I-00078 Rome, Italy
Claudio Natale
Department of Astronautical, Electrical and Energy Engineering (DIAEE), Sapienza University of Rome, I-00184 Rome, Italy
Fabrizio Marra
Research Center for Nanotechnology Applied to Engineering (CNIS), Sapienza University of Rome, I-00185 Rome, Italy
Maria Sabrina Sarto
Research Center for Nanotechnology Applied to Engineering (CNIS), Sapienza University of Rome, I-00185 Rome, Italy
Sergio Iavicoli
Directorate General for Communication and European and International Relations, Italian Ministry of Health, Lungotevere Ripa 1, I-00153 Rome, Italy
Graphene-based polymer composites are innovative materials which have recently found wide application in many industrial sectors thanks to the combination of their enhanced properties. The production of such materials at the nanoscale and their handling in combination with other materials introduce growing concerns regarding workers’ exposure to nano-sized materials. The present study aims to evaluate the nanomaterials emissions during the work phases required to produce an innovative graphene-based polymer coating made of a water-based polyurethane paint filled with graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) and deposited via the spray casting technique. For this purpose, a multi-metric exposure measurement strategy was adopted in accordance with the harmonized tiered approach published by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). As a result, potential GNPs release has been indicated near the operator in a restricted area not involving other workers. The ventilated hood inside the production laboratory guarantees a rapid reduction of particle number concentration levels, limiting the exposure time. Such findings allowed us to identify the work phases of the production process with a high risk of exposure by inhalation to GNPs and to define proper risk mitigation strategies.
