The PIs plan to host the 5th International Symposium on Nanotechnology, Occupational and Environmental Health to take place August 9-12, 2011 in Boston, Massachusetts. The University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML) will co-host the event along with the Center for High-rate Nanomanufacturing (CHN), and the Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI). This Symposium is the fifth in a series of international symposia, which have been held over the past decade to address concerns about the toxicity and potentially adverse environmental impacts associated with the rapidly increasing development and use of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs).
This series of symposia has evolved into the premier international gathering to discuss the toxicity and potentially adverse environmental aspects of ENP use. The very latest research on this new and emerging technology field will be presented and discussed by leading international scientists.
The Symposium will be organized around three themes:
(1) Nanoparticle exposure assessment and control (2) Engineered nanoparticle toxicology and adverse health effects (3) Policy and regulatory aspects of nanotechnology health and safety
Broader Impacts
The Symposium will identify crucial knowledge gaps, research accomplishments, and future needs in the field. Key findings from the Symposium will be published in a special issue of the Journal of Nanoparticle Research.
A special effort will be made to ensure the involvement of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities. The conference co-chair is a woman, the first female co-chair in this symposium series.
The Fifth International Symposium on Nanotechnology, Occupational Safety and Health NSF Grant No. CBET-1135110 University of Massachusetts Lowell One University Avenue Lowell, MA 01854 The Fifth International Symposium on Nanotechnology, Occupational Safety and Health was held in Boston 0n 9-12 August 2012. The host organizations for the Symposium were the Center for High-rate Nanomanufacturing (CHN), the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML), and the Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI). The co-chairs were Dr. Su-Jung (Candace) Tsai and Dr. Michael Ellenbecker, who are affiliated with all three host organizations. The Symposium program was organized around three themes, i.e., nanoparticle exposure assessment and control, engineered nanoparticle toxicology and adverse health effects, and the policy and regulatory aspects of nanotechnology health and safety. Parallel sessions were held in these three areas throughout the Symposium, which was attended by more than 350 scientists from 25 countries. It included keynote addresses by Mihail Roco (NSF), John Howard (NIOSH), and Gunter Oberdorster (U. Rochester), more than 120 podium presentations, 73 poster presentations, roundtable discussions on the future needs in each of the three Symposium themes, and a concluding expert panel discussion led by Andrew Maynard on "where have we been and where are we going?". Important papers presented at the Symposium were edited by Drs. Tsai and Ellenbecker and published in a special issue of the Journal of Nanoparticle Research. The specific aim of this proposal was to provide financial support for this important international symposium. NSF funding was key in that it assisted us in hiring a conference coordinator during the year leading up to the symposium, to pay travel expenses for some of the keynote speakers, and to pay for symposium expenses such as printing and displays.