Project: Exposure to nanocellulose at work and health effects – NanoCellRisk
Nanocellulose (NC), a sustainable and renewable nanomaterial, is produced in diverse forms including microcrystalline fibres, and has many applications in manufacturing and medicine. In the proposed study, we aim to help manufacturers prevent long-term health effects by clarifying the risks of occupational exposure to NC and identifying the underlying mechanisms of toxicity.
The specific objectives of this study are to 1) use advanced particle characterization techniques to examine occupational NC exposure; 2) repeatedly measure biomarkers of inflammation and genotoxicity in workers exposed to NC , by collecting exposure and lifestyle data, measuring individual exposures, and taking blood and urine; and 3) use in vitro methods including multiplex biomarker assays to identify any toxic effects of repeated, long-term exposure to NC , and find the underlying mechanisms in a realistic model of lung and immune cells (co- and mono-culture). This study will provide information on exposure and the health effects of chronic and repeated exposure to NC in its different forms and may contribute to the establishment of adverse outcome pathways for NC toxicity to support risk assessment; this information will be key for the safe production and use of NC across a range of applications.
Financing
- FORTE - The Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare
- Karolinska Institutet
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