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Human health characterization factors of nano-TiO2 for indoor and outdoor environments

  • LCIA OF IMPACTS ON HUMAN HEALTH AND ECOSYSTEMS
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

The increasing use of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) in industrial applications and consumer products is leading to an inevitable release of these materials into the environment. This makes it necessary to assess the potential risks that these new materials pose to human health and the environment. Life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology has been recognized as a key tool for assessing the environmental performance of nanoproducts. Until now, the impacts of ENMs could not be included in LCA studies due to a lack of characterization factors (CFs). This paper provides a methodological framework for identifying human health CFs for ENMs.

Methods

The USEtox™ model was used to identify CFs for assessing the potential carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic effects on human health caused by ENM emissions in both indoor (occupational settings) and outdoor environments. Nano-titanium dioxide (nano-TiO2) was selected for defining the CFs in this study, as it is one of the most commonly used ENMs. For the carcinogenic effect assessment, a conservative approach was adopted; indeed, a critical dose estimate for pulmonary inflammation was assumed.

Results and discussion

We propose CFs for nano-TiO2 from 5.5E−09 to 1.43E−02 cases/kgemitted for both indoor and outdoor environments and for carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic effects.

Conclusions

These human health CFs for nano-TiO2 are an important step toward the comprehensive application of LCA methodology in the field of nanomaterial technology.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Johannes J. Meesters, from IWWR (Netherlands), for his significant support and fruitful discussions throughout this paper’s preparation. Particular thanks go to Jean-Pierre Kaiser, from EMPA, and Pietro Fumagalli, from University of Milan-Bicocca, for their help in the field of toxicology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sciences and Methods for Engineering, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Amendola, 2 - Padiglione Morselli, 42122, Reggio Emilia, Italy

    Martina Pini & Anna Maria Ferrari

  2. Technology and Society Laboratory, Empa-Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Lerchenfeldstrasse 5, 9014, St. Gallen, Switzerland

    Martina Pini, Beatrice Salieri, Bernd Nowack & Roland Hischier

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  1. Martina Pini
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  2. Beatrice Salieri
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Correspondence to Martina Pini.

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This manuscript, entitled “Human health characterization factors of titanium dioxide nanoparticles for indoor and outdoor environments,” has been approved by all its authors. It has not been previously published, nor is it under consideration for publication elsewhere. No data or figures have been fabricated or manipulated to support our conclusions. No data or text prepared by others have been presented as if they were the authors’ own. Hence, the submission declaration has been complied with.

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The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest. This research involved no animals.

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Pini, M., Salieri, B., Ferrari, A.M. et al. Human health characterization factors of nano-TiO2 for indoor and outdoor environments. Int J Life Cycle Assess 21, 1452–1462 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-016-1115-8

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