Safe workplace practices for handling nanowastes: An overview

Abstract

Nanotechnology is being presented as the third industrial revolution. However, in the absence of regulations and with limited and sometimes contradictory knowledge about the negative effects that nanomaterials could have on our health, questions arise as to the current safety measures being taken. In particular, this research takes into consideration the specific task of nanowaste manipulation because this is an activity which presents a high risk of exposure. The general objective of this review is the identification of the best practices and most common measures adopted when handling these by-products. A list of safe practices for dealing with nanowastes based on their characteristics is presented. Finally, it is concluded that knowledge in this area is limited and that the practices in place in organizations today are inconsistent. © 2015 Taylor & Francis Group, London.