The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) issued a May 17, 2023, news item stating that it believes that the European Commission’s (EC) revised Recommendation on the definition of nanomaterial, published in June 2022, “is too restrictive and could lead to a regression in the protection of public health and the environment.” ANSES “is therefore urging the French authorities to take a more inclusive definition into account and work...
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has extended the comment period for its April 5, 2023, request for information (RFI) seeking public input in updating the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) Research Strategy. 88 Fed. Reg. 33174. OSTP is soliciting public input from a wide variety of stakeholders, including individuals, industry, academia, research laboratories, nonprofits, and think tanks. OSTP states that it is...
May 23, 2023
Registration Opens for NNI’s Second Webinar on U.S. Government Activities Addressing Micro- and Nanoplastic Issues
As reported in our May 10, 2023, blog item, the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) is holding two public webinars providing an overview of the key activities of U.S. government agencies in tackling the challenge of plastic waste in the environment. According to NNI, the breakdown of bulk plastics to micro- and nanoscale particles in the environment “has further challenged efforts to understand the potential human and environmental impacts of plastics over their full life cycles,”...
May 10, 2023
NNI Announces Webinars on U.S. Government Activities Addressing Micro- and Nanoplastic Issues
The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) will hold two public webinars providing an overview of the key activities of U.S. government agencies in tackling the challenge of plastic waste in the environment. NNI states that the plastic waste issue includes more than just solid waste accumulation. According to NNI, the breakdown of bulk plastics to micro- and nanoscale particles in the environment “has further challenged efforts to understand the potential human and environmental impacts of...
On May 2, 2023, the European Commission’s (EC) Joint Research Center (JRC) announced that it published a guidance document entitled Guidance on the implementation of the Commission Recommendation 2022/C 229/01 on the definition of nanomaterial. As reported in our June 10, 2022, blog item, in June 2022, the EC published a new Recommendation aimed at harmonizing the interpretation of the term “nanomaterial” in regulatory contexts. The updated definition of nanomaterials...
May 4, 2023
FDA Seeks Comment on Request to Revoke the Color Additive Listing for Use of Titanium Dioxide in Food
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on May 3, 2023, that it has filed a color additive petition (CAP 3C0325), submitted by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), the Center for Environmental Health (CEH), the Center for Food Safety (CFS), the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), and the Environmental Working Group (EWG). 88 Fed. Reg. 27818. The petition proposes that FDA repeal the color additive regulation for titanium dioxide in 21 C.F.R....
The European Commission’s (EC) Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) has begun a public consultation on its preliminary opinion on fullerenes, hydroxylated fullerenes, and hydrated forms of hydroxylated fullerenes (nano). The EC asked SCCS if it considers fullerenes, hydroxylated fullerenes, and hydrated forms of hydroxylated fullerenes safe when used in cosmetic products according to the maximum concentrations and specifications as reported via the Cosmetic Product...
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has published the latest edition of the Developments in Delegations on the Safety of Manufactured Nanomaterials and Advanced Materials — Tour de Table. The Tour de Table compiles information provided by delegations on the occasion of the 22nd meeting of the OECD Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials (WPMN) in June 2022. The Tour de Table lists U.S. developments on the human health and...
April 27, 2023
EUON Extends Deadline for Study Proposals
As reported in our March 16, 2023, blog item, on March 14, 2023, the European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) issued a call for study proposals. EUON is looking for studies on: According to EUON, the scope of the study can be on nanomaterials in general, a specific nanomaterial, or a defined group of nanomaterials. EUON will assess all proposals, and if selected, they will be carried out through EUON’s existing procurement channels. EUON will post...
In France, under Decree No. 2012-232, companies that manufacture, import, and/or distribute a “substance with nanoparticle status” in an amount of at least 100 grams per year must submit an annual report with substance identity, quantity, and use information. According to the R-Nano website, managed by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES), the declaration form has evolved since 2022 to require the completion of certain fields in accordance...