Silver Spring, MD — The vast majority of Safety Data Sheets for construction materials containing nanotechnology need improvement when it comes to accurately listing engineered nanomaterial composition, results of a recent study indicate.
A team led by researchers from CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training looked at a sample of 33 SDSs and product data from “a public database of nano-enabled construction products.” The researchers then sought to confirm the composition of nanoparticles – which are potentially hazardous to human health – in construction materials using an electron microscope.
Their analysis “revealed several discrepancies between the actual product composition and what was listed in the SDS.” Seventy percent of the SDSs were deemed “in need of significant improvement,” while another 12% “were in need of improvement.”
Currently, more than 50 kinds of engineered nanomaterials are used in construction products.
“There has been significant progress investigating risks to construction workers posed by ENMs, but SDSs need major improvements,” the researchers conclude.
The study was published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine.
