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Health and environmental safety aspects of friction grinding and spray drying of microfibrillated cellulose

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Abstract

Microfibrillated cellulose (MFC), also referred to as nanocellulose, is one of the most promising innovations for forest sector. MFC is produced by fibrillating the fibres under high compression and shear forces. In this study we evaluated the worker exposures to particles in air during grinding and spray drying of birch cellulose. Processing of MFC with either a friction grinder or a spray dryer did not cause significant exposure to particles during normal operation. Grinding generated small amount of particles, which were mostly removed by fume hood. Spray dryer leaked particles when duct valve was closed, but when correctly operated the exposure to particles was low or nonexistent. To assess the health effects of the produced MFC, mouse macrophages and human monocyte derived macrophages were exposed to MFC and the viability and cytokine profile of the cells were studied thereafter. No evidence of inflammatory effects or cytotoxicity on mouse and human macrophages was observed after 6 and 24 h exposure to the materials studied. The results of toxicity studies suggest that the friction ground MFC is not cytotoxic and does not cause any effects on inflammatory system in macrophages. In addition, environmental safety of MFC was studied with ecotoxicity test. Acute environmental toxicity assessed with kinetic luminescent bacteria test showed high NOEC values (>100 mg/l) for studied MFC. However, MFC disturbed Daphnia magna mobility mechanically when the test was performed according to the standard procedure.

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Acknowledgments

We thank The Finnish Centre for Nanocellulosic Technologies, the forest industry group UPM, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and Aalto University School of Science and Technology as well as Tekes (the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation) and all companies participating in the project “Tailoring of nanocellulose structures for industrial applications” for funding this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, P.O. Box 1000, 02044 VTT, Espoo, Finland

    Jari Vartiainen, Tiina Pöhler, Jouni Hokkinen, Unto Tapper, Panu Lahtinen, Anu Kapanen & Kaisa Putkisto

  2. Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Topeliuksenkatu 41 a A, 00250, Helsinki, Finland

    Kristiina Sirola, Lea Pylkkänen & Harri Alenius

  3. Aalto University School of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 11000, 00076 AALTO, Helsinki, Finland

    Panu Hiekkataipale, Paula Eronen & Janne Ruokolainen

  4. UPM Nanocenter, Tekniikantie 2 C, 02150, Espoo, Finland

    Antti Laukkanen

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  1. Jari Vartiainen
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  2. Tiina Pöhler
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  3. Kristiina Sirola
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Correspondence to Jari Vartiainen.

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Vartiainen, J., Pöhler, T., Sirola, K. et al. Health and environmental safety aspects of friction grinding and spray drying of microfibrillated cellulose. Cellulose 18, 775–786 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-011-9501-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-011-9501-7

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