Intelligence Bulletin Outlines NIOSH’s Approach to Risk Assessment; Addresses Nanomaterials

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently published Current Intelligence Bulletin (CIB) 69: NIOSH Practices in Occupational Risk Assessment. The CIB describes the general approach NIOSH researchers use in occupational risk assessments, and outlines specific considerations for hazard assessment, dose-response assessment and risk characterization. The Bulletin includes a section dedicated to nanomaterial risk assessment where it discusses approaches NIOSH has taken to be able to use the nanotoxicology literature in their risk assessments (e.g. dose normalization and correlating in vitro and in vivo outcomes) as well as the use of alternative testing strategies in nanomaterial risk characterization.