Importance of the number emission factor of combustion-generated aerosols from nano-enabled products

Tobias Hammer; Nathan Bossa; Michael Persson; Adrian Wichser; Ken Lehner; Emmanuel Ruggiero; Ana Sofia Fonseca; Milijana Jovic; Sabyasachi Gaan; Wendel Wohlleben; Jing Wang

doi:10.1016/j.impact.2021.100307

Importance of the number emission factor of combustion-generated aerosols from nano-enabled products

NanoImpact. 2021 Apr:22:100307. doi: 10.1016/j.impact.2021.100307. Epub 2021 Mar 10.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland; Laboratory of Advanced Analytical Technologies, Empa, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.
² Leitat Technological Center, 08225 Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain.
³ Nouryon PPC AB, 445 80 Bohus, Sweden.
⁴ Laboratory of Advanced Analytical Technologies, Empa, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.
⁵ BASF SE, 67056 Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany.
⁶ National Research Centre for the Working Environment (NRCWE), Lerso Parkallé 105, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.
⁷ Laboratory of Advanced Fibers, Empa, 9014 Sankt Gallen, Switzerland.
⁸ Institute of Environmental Engineering, ETH Zürich, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland; Laboratory of Advanced Analytical Technologies, Empa, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland. Electronic address: jing.wang@ifu.baug.ethz.ch.

PMID: 35559964
DOI: 10.1016/j.impact.2021.100307

Abstract

Accidental or open waste burning and incineration of nano-enabled products (NEPs) might lead to the release of incidental aerosols in the nano size range into the environment resulting in harmful effects on humans. We have investigated combustion-generated aerosol release during accidental burning for several real-life NEPs such as paints with silica (SiO₂) and spruce wood panels containing SiO₂ and Fe₂O₃ nanomaterials (NMs), paper with SiO₂ and Fe₂O₃ NMs and polymeric composites with CuPhthtalocyanine NMs in poly lactic acid (PLA), polyamide 6 (PA6) and thermoplastic pol-urethane (TPU) matrices. Chemical compositions, aerosols number emission factors (n_efs) and concentrations of the signature elements of the NMs of the combustion-generated aerosols were investigated. In addition, the residual ash was analyzed. The outcomes of this study shed light on how NM and matrix types influenced the properties of the released aerosols. Based on our results it was established that the combustion-generated aerosols were composed of transformed NMs with modified physical-chemical characteristics compared to the pristine NMs. In addition to aerosols with transformed NMs, there were also particles due to incomplete combustion of the matrix. Types of the pristine NMs and matrices affected the characteristics of the released aerosols. Since the effect of the aerosols is related to the inhaled aerosol number concentration, the n_ef is an important parameter. Our results showed that the n_efs in the size range of 5.6 to 560 nm depended strongly on the type of combusted NEP, which indicated that the NEPs could be categorized according to their potential to release aerosols in this size range when they were burnt. The generated release data facilitate the assessment of human and environmental exposure and the associated risk assessment of combustion-generated aerosols from NEPs.

Keywords: Categorization of nano-enabled products; Combustion; Nanomaterial; Release of nanomaterials.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aerosols / analysis
Air Pollutants* / analysis
Humans
Incineration
Silicon Dioxide
Wood / chemistry

Substances

Aerosols
Air Pollutants
Silicon Dioxide