Polly McLean

SAFENANO Scientist

Polly works as a Research Scientist in IOM’s Research Group within the SAFENANO and Exposure teams. Her work involves assessing nanomaterial exposure, namely in occupational settings, and providing guidance and advice to ensure safe working practices.

Polly began working within the Analytical section (Mineralogy) of IOM in 2017 following the completion of her Master’s degree in Chemistry at Heriot-Watt University. Her job role within Mineralogy involved many areas of analysis, all of which worked to UKAS standards. She then became involved in the Chemistry section of the laboratory at the IOM, assisting in ICP/AES metal analysis. In 2018 Polly moved into the SAFENANO team, where she provides scientific and technical experience to a range of research and consultancy projects, primarily focused on supporting industry in the responsible development, commercialisation and use of nanomaterials. She is involved in providing on-site exposure measurements, which includes identifying and evaluating potential exposure to hazards and particle characterisation. During her time in SAFENANO, Polly has worked on EU H2020 projects including OptiNanoPro, EIROS and NanoTextSurf, in which her role involved assessing occupational exposure to a range of nanomaterials and providing guidance and recommendations for limiting risk. More recently, she has been involved in SAbyNA and SbD4Nano, in which her role focusses on hazard, exposure and risk assessment of nanomaterials to support a safe-by-design (SbD) approach for industry.

Contact Details:

• Office: +44 (0) 131 449 8043
• Email: [email protected]

Qualifications:

• MChem Chemistry (First Class Honours, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh)
• BOHS P401 “Identification of Asbestos in Bulk samples”
• BOHS W501 “Measurment of Hazardous Substances”

Research Interests:

Polly’s research interests focus on the impact of nanomaterials on human health. This consists of determining the potential exposure to both workers and users, and investigating the effects of exposure through toxicological studies.