Titanium dioxide (TiO2) particles, including nanoparticles with diameters smaller than 100 nm, are used extensively in consumer products. In a 2011 current intelligence bulletin, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommended methods to assess worker exposures to fine and ultrafine TiO2 particles and associated occupational exposure limits for these particles. However, there are several challenges and problems encountered with these recommended exposure assessment methods involving the accurate quantitation of titanium dioxide collected on air filters using acid digestion followed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Specifically, recommended digestion methods include the use of several hazardous chemicals, such as perchloric acid, which are typically unavailable in most accredited industrial hygiene laboratories. Other alternative methods that are used typically involve the use of nitric acid or combination of nitric acid and sulfuric acid, which yield very poor recoveries for titanium dioxide. Therefore, given the current state of the science, it is clear that a newer safe, reliable method is needed for exposure assessment. In this current study, a microwave-assisted acid digestion method has been specifically designed to improve the recovery of titanium in TiO2 nanoparticles for analysis using ICP-OES. The optimum digestion conditions were determined by changing several variables including the acids used, digestion time and temperature. Consequently, the optimized digestion temperature of 210°C with concentrated sulfuric and nitric acid (2:1 v/v) resulted in a recovery of >90% for TiO2. The method is expected to provide for a more accurate quantification of airborne TiO2 particles in the workplace environment.
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 3. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 01 April 2017.
All research outputs
#8,971,802
of 26,533,218 outputs
Outputs from Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
#473
of 1,076 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#129,856
of 404,180 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
#8
of 21 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 26,533,218 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 43rd percentile – i.e., 43% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 1,076 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 15.9. This one is in the 27th percentile – i.e., 27% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
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We're also able to compare this research output to 21 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one is in the 28th percentile – i.e., 28% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
