Supplementary Information

Table S1. The basic hygiene information of 13 factories participated in this study.
Factory number
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13

Industry
Photocatalyst mfg
Nanomaterials mfg
Nanomaterials mfg
Toilet mfg
Air cleaner mfg
Toilet mfg
LED mfg
LED mfg
Paint mfg
Colorants mfg
Carbon nanotube mfg
Textile mfg
Self-cleaning tiles mfg

Starting year
2006
2004
2007
2001
2004
2007
2004
2002
2001
2003
2004
2006
2008

Workplace
Enclosed
Enclosed
Open
Enclosed
Open
Enclosed
Open with hood
Enclosed
Open
Enclosed
Open
Enclosed
Open

Dust control method

Local ventilation
Local ventilation
Local ventilation
Local ventilation
Local ventilation and General ventilation
Local ventilation and General ventilation
Local ventilation and General ventilation
Local ventilation and General ventilation
Local ventilation and General ventilation
Local ventilation
Local ventilation
Local ventilation
General ventilation

Abbreviation: mfg: manufacturing; LED: light emission device.

Handling of Leakage
Sweeping
Flushing with water
Flushing with water
Flushing with water
Sweeping
Flushing with water
Sweeping
Flushing with water
Sweeping
Sweeping
Vacuum cleaner or sweeping
Sweeping
Flushing with water

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2014, 15

S2
Table S2. The characteristics of nanomaterials used or manufactured in these 13 factories.

Factory
number

Type of
nanomaterial
handling

Nanomaterial
used/Mfd

Major
nanomaterial
used/Mfd

Size (nm)

Amount
used/Mfd
(mg/Time)

Duration of
use/Mfg
(Hour/Time)

Frequency of
use/Mfg
(Times/Week)

Type of nanomaterials
used/Mfd

Use

Nano-silver

Nano-silver

Unknown

20

Liquid solution

Use

Fe2O3
Nano-gold
Nano-silver

Fe2O3

610
340
510

5000
19
2.1

2
0.1
0.1

1
1
1

Liquid solution
Liquid solution
Liquid solution

Mfg

Fe2O3
Nano-gold
Nano-silver

Fe2O3

610
340
510

5000
10
21

0.2
0.25
0.1

8
8
8

Liquid solution
Liquid solution
Liquid solution

Use

Titanium dioxide

Titanium dioxide

1520

10,000

2.5

2.5

Powder and liquid solution

Mfg

Titanium dioxide

Titanium dioxide

1520

1,000,000

Powder and liquid solution

Use

Nano-silver

Nano-silver

Commercial secret Commercial secret

Liquid solution

Mfg

Nano-silver

Nano-silver

Commercial secret Commercial secret

Liquid solution

Use

Titanium dioxide

Titanium dioxide

20

50,000

Liquid solution

Use

Silicon dioxide
Nano-silver

Silicon dioxide

10
100

50,000
50

1
1

1
1

Liquid solution
Liquid solution

Use

Carbon nanotube
Silicon dioxide

Carbon nanotube
Silicon dioxide

40
100

100
50,000

1
1

1
1

Powder and liquid solution

Powder

Use

Carbon nanotube

Carbon nanotube

0.5

Use

Silicon dioxide

Silicon dioxide

1217

300

0.2

Powder

10

Mfg

Silicon dioxide
Silicon dioxide

Silicon dioxide

160
100200

2500
60,000

5
5

1
8

Liquid solution
Colloid

11

Use

Carbon nanotube

Carbon nanotube

110

5000

0.5

4.5

Powder, liquid solution, and gel

Mfg

Carbon nanotube

Carbon nanotube

110

4,000,000

12

Powder and liquid solution

12

Use

Carbon nanotube
Nano-silver

Carbon nanotube

100
>100

>20
>40

1
1

3.5
3.5

Powder
Liquid solution

13

Use

Titanium dioxide

Titanium dioxide

Unknown

0.33

Liquid solution

3
4

Commercial secret Commercial secret Commercial secret

Abbreviation: mfg: manufacturing; mfd: manufactured.

Liquid solution

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2014, 15

S3

Table S3. Information on the duration and frequency of nanomaterials used, personal
protective equipment and ventilation system among the nanomaterials exposed group.

Nanomaterials used
Frequency of operation (times/week)
Duration of operation (hours/time)
Years of exposure (year)
Total exposure time (hours)
Nanomaterials category
Carbon nanotube
Nano-Tio2
Nano-Sio2
Nano-Ag
Other nanomaterial exposure (Nano resin, Nan clays, and Nano-Au )
Over two types of nanomaterials exposure
Ventilation system
General ventilation systems
Local exhaust system
Industrial fan
Others
Protective equipment
No
Cotton mask
Activated carbon mask
N95 medical mask
Gas mask
Others

NM exposed group
(n = 241)
Mean
(SD)
2.90
(1.92)
3.01
(3.26)
2.96
(2.14)
1495
(3271)
n
(%)
57
17
36
16
54
61

(23.7)
(7.1)
(14.9)
(6.6)
(22.4)
(25.3)

41
114
20
66

(17.0)
(47.3)
(8.3)
(27.4)

19
16
58
9
15
124

(7.9)
(6.6)
(24.1)
(3.7)
(6.2)
(51.5)

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2014, 15

S4
Table S4. Summary of the most important characteristics of probability scores.

Variables/scores

30 pts

Estimated amount of material used

Dustiness/mistiness
Number of employees with similar exposure
Frequency of operation
Duration of operation

>100 mg
Unknown
11100 mg
High
Unknown
Medium
>15
Unknown 1115
Daily
Weekly
>4 h
Unknown 14 h

25 pts

22.5 pts

18.75 pts

15 pts

12.5 pts

11.25 pts

10 pts 7.5 pts 6.25 pts

Low
-

5 pts

0 pts

010 mg
None
610
15
Monthly Less than monthly
3060 min
<30 min

Table S5. Summary of the most important characteristics of severity factors and scores.
Variables/scores

10 pts

7.5 pts

6 pts

5 pts

4.5 pts

4 pts

3 pts

2.5 pts

0 pts

High

Unknown

Medium

Low

Tubular/fibrous

Unknown

Anisotropic

Compact/Spherical

Nanomaterial
Surface chemistry
Particle Shape
Particle Diameter

110 nm

Unknown

1140 nm

>41 nm

Solubility

Insoluble

Unknown

soluble

Carcinogenicity

Yes

Unknown

No

Reproductive Toxicity

Yes

Unknown

No

Mutagenicity

Yes

Unknown

No

Dermal Toxicity

Yes

Unknown

No

Asthmagen

Yes

Unknown

No

<10 g/m3

Unknown

10100 g/m3

1011000 g/m3

Carcinogenicity

Yes

Unknown

No

Reproductive Toxicity

Yes

Unknown

No

Mutagenicity

Yes

Unknown

No

Dermal Toxicity

Yes

Unknown

No

Parent Material
Occupational exposure limit

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2014, 15

S5

Table S6. The classification of the different NPs in term of Risk levels.
Variables

RL1 (n = 126)
n
(%)
25
(19.8)
9
(7.1)
23
(18.3)
10
(7.9)
34
(27.0)
25
(19.8)

Carbon nanotube
Nano-TiO2
Nano-SiO2
Nano-Ag
Other NM exposure
More than two types of NM exposure
a

RL2 (n = 115)
n
(%)
32
(27.8)
8
(7.0)
13
(11.3)
6
(5.2)
20
(17.4)
36
(31.3)

p-Value a
0.090

Chi-Square Tests.

2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article
distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).