Safe production and use of nanomaterials in the ceramic industry: the CERASAFE project

The ceramic industry is a growing industrial sector, which is benefitting from advances made available through nanotechnology and a number of innovative industrial processes. However, production of nanomaterials, including the manufacture and use of nanoceramics, cannot be considered safe without a thorough investigation regarding exposure and toxicity of nanoceramic materials, which is a current research gap. This requires better knowledge of workers’ exposure in the ceramic sector and during nanoceramics manufacturing, handling and processing, which will firstly require the understanding of exposure scenarios. In this framework, the ERANET-SIINN project CERASAFE aims to assess and improve environmental health and safety (EHS) in the ceramic industry. The objective of this project is to study industrial processes and activities which may generate nanoparticle emissions into workplace air, and to assess worker exposure by evaluating the particle release processes, characterizing the emitted particles, and understanding their toxicity.