Gwyneth K. Shaw Photo
Charles Geraci, coordinator of NIOSH’s Nanotechnology Research Center, and UMass Lowell Chancellor Martin Meehan after the announcement of the new collaboration.
(NHI Nanoblog) LOWELL, Mass. — The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is joining forces with researchers at the University of Massachusetts Lowell to offer nanotechnology companies advice on how to protect their workers — a key goal in the burgeoning but still-mysterious field of the incredibly small.
“This work is critical as a proactive step to pave the way to the commercialization of nano-based projects,” UMass Lowell Chancellor Martin Meehan said in an announcement about the partnership, which closed the first day of the university’s “Destination Nano” conference last week.
University researchers are heavily involved in research about what kinds of dangers nanoparticles might pose to the workers involved in their production, an effort that also is a key challenge for NIOSH. By working together, companies in New England and elsewhere can access a broad array of cutting-edge science, said Charles Geraci, coordinator for NIOSH’s Nanotechnology Research Center.
Geraci will work with UMass Lowell professor Michael Ellenbecker and Candace Tsai through the school’s Center for High-rate Nanomanufacturing. They’ll be involved with visits to nano manufacturers to evaluate their safety measures, and help offer tips for companies based on what scientists know about the potential health risks associated with engineered nanoparticles such as carbon nanotubes and quantum dots.
Both Ellenbecker and Tsai, along with UMass Lowell research teams, have extensive backgrounds in studies that examine the safety of nanoparticles, which are coming on the market even as scientists and regulators are racing to explore safety standards.