Utrafine particulates (UFP) are defined as particulates with a nominal diameter smaller than about 100 nm. UFPs are ubiquitous in many working situations with domestic/commercial printers, hot processes, vehicle emissions, combustion and nanotechnology.
Exposure to UFPs is possibly causing adverse health symptoms including cardio-respiratory disease to humans, but it depends on UFP’s size, mass, surface area, shape, concentration, composition and aggregation.
In order to measure exposure levels of airborne UFPs, there are current available measurement guidelines, instruments and other techniques (i.e. contour mapping, control banding). However, these risk assessment techniques including measurement techniques, controls and guidelines are dependent on background levels, metrics (e.g. size, mass, number, surface area, composition), environmental conditions and controls.
There are no standardized measurement methods available and no generic and specific occupational exposure standards for UFPs. It is thought that there needs to be more effort to develop Regulations and Exposure Standards for generic UFPs based on more exposure data, health surveys, toxicological data and epidemiological data.
A carefully considered hierarchy of controls can also reduce the maximum amount of airborne UFPs being emitted from diverse sources in workplaces including general office areas (J Korean Soc Occup Environ Hyg 2010;2093):203-215, SG Lee et al).
For instance, there was a pilot study assessing UFP air concentrations from different workplaces (J Health Saf Environ 2010, 26(3):123-133, SG Lee et al).It was stated that high levels of UFP air concentrations were related to the nature of work processes (e.g. fettling, ladle repair, furnace, welding, grinding) and/or age of the diesel vehicles (e,g, fire trucks and other commercial heavy vehicles). It was recommended that a wider range of workplaces should be examined.