Manufactured nanoparticles, smaller than the width of a human hair, are being added to a growing number of construction products to give them strength, durability or other properties. Little is known about the possible health effects on workers who use these materials.

That's why CPWR is measuring engineered nanoparticle exposures during different construction tasks, with and without engineering controls. In a recent test, a CPWR team used a power sander on a sheet of plywood treated with a wood sealant containing zinc oxide nanoparticles. They found that a vacuum dust collection system (i.e. Local Exhaust Ventilation, or LEV) captured more than 90% of the nanoparticles, despite their small size. CPWR has prepared a one-page summary of their article Inhalation Exposure during Spray Application and Subsequent Sanding of a Wood Sealant Containing Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles, published in April's Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene.