Friday, May 30, 2008

Safety tops issues for nanotech companies

By Efrain Viscarolasaga

New England companies creating the next generation of nanomaterials are not only tasked with innovating at the smallest of scales, but they also must stay on top of the latest research in how to handle such materials on the shop floor.

One reason to keep up with such research came from a study released last week that pointed to worker health risks associated with the use of carbon nanotubes, equating the tiny, threadlike materials to asbestos — an issue that has been a primary focus for businesses, researchers and even municipalities in New England.

More than 50 companies are working on nanoscale materials science in New England. Many said that even more research needs to be done to determine what, if any, measures are appropriate for making and handling such cutting-edge products.

The Center for High-rate Nanomanufacturing, a nanotechnology research collaboration between Northeastern University, the University of Massachusetts Lowell and the University of New Hampshire, has been at the forefront of research on this topic, working with local companies to develop proper lab practices.

“There is certainly room for concern about nanotubes, but the studies that have been done are far from any real-world applications,” said Michael Ellenbecker, an author of the center’s research and a professor of Work Environment Health at UMass Lowell.

‘We take care’

Carbon nanotubes are tiny strands of carbon atoms measuring about one nanometer (or one millionth of a meter) in diameter that can be formed into strands. When manipulated on a molecular level, carbon and other materials take on new properties such as increased strength, electrical and heat conductivity or flexibility. Nanotechnology has been heralded as the next wave in materials innovation, and products built from nanomaterials have already made their way to market in a number of products, from anti-microbial coatings to insulating fabrics to computer memory.

Unlike the days of the open-air application of asbestos, carbon nanotubes are traditionally manipulated in a clean laboratory environment, which include HEPA filters, circulation hoods and worker masks.

“As lab professionals that work with nanotubes every day, we think it is just good practice to be safe around materials that haven’t been studied long term,” said David Carnahan, president and co-founder of Newton-based nanotube manufacturer NanoLab Inc. “We take care to avoid inhalation and do sensible things like wearing gloves. It’s no different than any other laboratory chemical.”

For nanomaterials companies, instituting the proper safety procedures is as important to business as the process for manipulating carbon molecules.

“As a manufacturer or user, you have to be concerned with your workforce and your customers, and mitigate any exposure,” said Viktor Vejins, CEO of Nano-C Inc., a Westwood maker of carbon nanotubes for photovoltaic and other applications that spun out of MIT in 2001.

Growing market, growing concern

Demand for carbon nanotubes is increasing and according to a 2007 report from Global Industry Analysts Inc. in California, the industry is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 80 percent over the next two years and reach $1.9 billion by 2010. That growth rate has attracted the attention of a wide array of health and safety organizations, including city governments.

In late 2006, Berkeley, Calif., became the first city in the country to pass legislation specifically aimed at regulating the use of nanomaterials. It remains the only city to institute such rules, but the city of Cambridge has also embarked on a similar mission, forming an advisory committee to investigate the matter. That committee’s report is expected to be delivered to the city council soon.