project name: NANOSAFE
project leader: Bice Fubini
project coordinator: Mara Ghiazza
years: 2007-2010

The project, coordinated by NIS (Centre of Excellence on Nanostrucured Interfaces and Surfaces), concerns the possible adverse health reactions induced by some nano-particles (NP) employed by the industrial partners or released in air by incinerators.

 The aim of the project is dual: 1) to indicate to the manufacturers a safe way for producing and using the NP synthesized in the project to improve their final products and 2) to give indications for a management of nanoparticle emissions from the incinerators. The project will benefit of a multidisciplinary approach, made possible by the joint expertise of NIS and Centro Scansetti (Interdepartmental Centre for Studies on Asbestos and other Toxic Particulates), in strict collaboration with the Torino Polytechnic, Eastern Piedmont University of and the co-proposing industries. No study in this field has yet been able to take advantage of such a large spectrum of expertise. A side benefit of the project, positive for the whole Piedmont community, and particularly for any enterprise dealing with NP, might be to show that not all NP are dangerous, irrespective of their form, chemical composition and origin, as some media report, causing excessive alarm . The NP and nanomaterials considered in this project are: i) carbon nanotubes (CNT) and CNT-based composites to be employed by Raicam in the manufacture of friction materials for clutch facings and brake pads; ii) variously sized TiO2 for cosmetic usage (Bottega Verde) and for trials on model skin (Microna) iii) SiO2, Fe2O3 and C prepared in three controlled sizes, both to mimic the NP found in incinerator off-gas (TRM) and to build up a repository of model particles, to highlight the critical role of the size and chemical composition in exerting toxic effects.
The project will be organized as follows:
1. synthesis, preparation or gathering of the NP and NP-based materials. The industries will test and control whether the material is appropriate for their employment (Raicam and Bottega Verde) or is representative of incinerator off-gas (TRM)
2. physico chemical characterisation of NP and tests for the presence of adverse toxicochemical features, trying to establish procedures for their removal
3. selection, on the basis of findings at point 2, of the most appropriate samples to proceed with biological trials
4. analysis of viability, function, uptake, inflammatory response and genotoxicity of NP when in contact with selected cell cultures
5. selection, on the basis of findings at point 4, of the most appropriate samples to proceed with in vivo trials
6. test NP selected at point 4 on adult mice in view of their possible translocation through the nervous system
7. some NP (mainly TiO2) will be also tested on pig- and human-reconstructed skin tissues (Microna)
Along this pathway, the following actions will be undertaken: - examine bioptic and autoptic materials from patients to detect if NP are present and, if any, what is their nature - set up and validate simple tests to screen either modified or new NP-based materials - control the safety of NP management during industrial manufacturing and that of the final product - examine the nature and extent of NP in the surrounding area where the incinerator plant will be located and compare them with those released by incinerators already in use in other regions - design appropriate filters suitable for cutting off NP in incinerator off-gas The process will provide Raicam of appropriate, safe and innovative materials with improved wear resistance and Bottega Verde of TiO2 optimised for cosmetic use. The study will give valuable information of the toxicity of the NP examined and on the chemical features involved in health-adverse effects. A repository of model NP to employ in future nanotoxicity studies will be started up. A set of tests for a first screening of NP for their toxicity will be provided.