The impact on human health of airborne nanoparticles is an area of growing concern. Nanoparticles are produced from both natural and man-made sources with a substantial fraction coming from combustion and traffic.

NPL has recently completed the construction of a major new facility for the generation and detection of airborne nanoparticles.

Humanity's incomplete knowledge about the environmental and health effects of nanoparticles coupled with their increasing use for industrial applications requires a precautionary approach to exposure. Key to the determination of the amount of nanoparticles in the atmosphere or work place is the availability of suitable methods of measurement. Instrumentation that will measure nanoparticles has been around for several years, but the reliability and equivalence of measurements between different instrument types as well as their performance characteristics have yet to be established.

Current research at NPL will investigate the performance of different instruments as well as resolving some of the fundamental nanoparticle measurement issues. Key nanoparticle parameters such as number density, size, surface area and composition will be investigated.

This research will impact future health and safety legislation, environmental regulations and the development of techniques and instrumentation for the environmental monitoring of nanoparticles.

For further information, please contact Neil Harrison

Find out more about NPL's research in Analytical Science and Environmental Measurement