Enhancing existing frameworks: evidence-based nano- titanium dioxide (TiO₂) risk management through technical and organizational integration in Singapore

<p dir="ltr">Effective nanomaterial risk management requires integration of technical controls with organizational implementation capacity, yet current frameworks assume uniform effectiveness across diverse workplace contexts. This thesis investigated how exposure characterization, control efficiency, and organizational practices interact to shape nano-TiO₂ risk management in Singapore's industrial settings.</p><p dir="ltr">A mixed-methods approach integrated four complementary studies: organizational surveys, workplace exposure assessments, Bayesian evaluation of engineering control effectiveness, and expert interviews. The research identified three operational paradigms across laboratory, manufacturing, and application settings, with critical exposure scenarios during material transfers, mixing operations, and spray applications.</p><p dir="ltr">Key findings revealed an exposure-control inversion phenomenon where high-exposure activities exhibited poorest control effectiveness, and a benchmark relativity effect where identical controls achieved different outcomes based on implementation quality. Material transfer operations showed consistent 15-25% efficiency reductions across all control types. Organizational capacity, rather than size alone, emerged as the critical determinant of implementation success.</p><p dir="ltr">The evidence-based risk management framework integrates Bayesian statistical methods with activity-based risk assessment and performance-based monitoring to enhance existing regulatory guidance. The framework enables targeted resource allocation, real-world performance verification, and adaptive implementation pathways accommodating organizational capacity constraints.</p><p dir="ltr">This research advances occupational hygiene practice by demonstrating that effective nanomaterial protection emerges through dynamic interactions between technical capabilities and organizational contexts rather than through technical specifications alone.</p>