Nano and Other Emerging Chemical Technologies Blog

The European Commission’s (EC) Joint Research Center (JRC) published a press release on June 6, 2019, regarding its contribution to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) development of Test Guidelines for the safety assessment of nanomaterials.  According to the press release, scientists from JRC have actively participated in discussions of the OECD’s Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials (WPMN) since early on.  The press release...

On June 12, 2019, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) announced that it will delay enforcement of the Household Cleansing Product Information Disclosure Program (Disclosure Program) from July 1, 2019, to January 1, 2020. NYSDEC states in the June 12, 2019, Environmental Notice Bulletin that it will begin enforcing any violations of the required disclosure as of January 2, 2020. According to the notice, NYSDEC “will continue to work with any...

The Institute of Technology Assessment of the Austrian Academy of Sciences has published a NanoTrust Dossier entitled “Safe-by-Design — The Early Integration of Safety Aspects in Innovation Processes.”  The Dossier presents an overview of the concepts behind the idea of integrating health or environmental safety considerations in the design of materials, products, or processes, focusing on the nano-specific Safe-by-Design (SbD) concept.  SbD aims to take account of safety issues early on...

The European Commission (EC) published on June 11, 2019, a call for data on the following ingredients used in cosmetic products:  gold (nano); colloidal gold (nano); platinum (nano); colloidal platinum (nano); copper (nano); and colloidal copper (nano).  The EC states that it has concerns about the use of nano forms of gold, colloidal gold, platinum, colloidal platinum, copper, and colloidal copper “because of the potential of nanoparticles to enter cells through dermal...

The most recent episode of the National Nanotechnology Initiative’s (NNI) podcast series, Stories from the NNI, features Vince Caprio, Founder and Executive Director of the NanoBusiness Commercialization Association (NanoBCA).  Dr. Lisa Friedersdorf, Director of the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO), speaks with Caprio about his memories of the early establishment of NNI, his thoughts on major advances in nanotechnology for the past 15 years, and...

As reported in our May 30, 2019, blog item, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) recently published several reports in its Series on the Safety of Manufactured Nanomaterials, including Developments in Delegations on the Safety of Manufactured Nanomaterials — Tour de Table.  The Tour de Table compiles information provided by delegations on the occasion of the 19th meeting of the OECD Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials (WPMN) in February...

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has posted the following reports in its Series on the Safety of Manufactured Nanomaterials: Developments in Delegations on the Safety of Manufactured Nanomaterials — Tour de Table: The Tour de Table compiles information provided by delegations on the occasion of the 19th meeting of the OECD Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials (WPMN) in February 2019.  It aims to summarize relevant information on activities...

On May 16, 2019, the Swedish National Platform for Nanosafety (SweNanoSafe) announced the availability of eREACHNano, “a new web tool focused on helping small and medium-sized companies that may lack sufficient in-house expertise on the regulation covering nanomaterials.”  The web tool explains the data requirements for nanoforms according to the guideline documents of the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation, including:...

Registration is now available for the National Nanotechnology Initiative’s (NNI) June 11, 2019, webinar on “Practical Applications of 15 Years of NanoEHS Research:  Measurements of Potential Ecotoxicological Risk.”  The speaker will be Dr. Elijah Petersen, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and Dr. Treye Thomas, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and NNI Coordinator for Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) Research, will moderate.  The webinar will...

On May 17, 2019, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) announced that its presentations at the May 20-22, 2019, American Industrial Hygiene Conference & Expo (AIHce EXP) include: PDC 601: How to Assess and Manage Nanomaterial RisksPresenters:  Laura Hodson, Adrienne EastlakeType:  Professional Development Course, May 19, 2019; 119 — An Evaluation of Engineered Nanomaterial Safety Data Sheets Post [Globally Harmonized System of...

The American Chemical Society (ACS) has posted the slides from its May 16, 2019, webinar on working safely with nanomaterials in the laboratory.  Chuck Geraci, Associate Director for Emerging Technologies at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), moderated a panel including: Ken Kretchman, Director of Environmental Health Safety, North Carolina State University; Craig Merlic, Professor of Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA); and...

The European Commission’s (EC) Joint Research Center (JRC) announced on May 10, 2019, publication of an article entitled “Measuring particle size distribution of nanoparticle enabled medicinal products, the joint view of EUNCL and NCI-NCL.  A step by step approach combining orthogonal measurements with increasing complexity” in the April 10, 2019, issue of the Journal of Controlled Release.  JRC, in close collaboration with researchers from the French Commissariat...

The Nanotechnology Industries Association (NIA), a “cross-sectoral, responsible voice for nanotechnology value chains and the global commercial eco-system,” hosts frequent webinars and then posts the webinars on its YouTube channel.  On May 7, 2019, NIA held a webinar on “Nano in Action:  Nanosafety.”  Participants heard about the latest research and support tools intended to advance the development of safe materials from speakers involved in human and environmental safety research...

On April 29, 2019, the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) announced InnoMat.Life, a joint research project to establish criteria for an efficient assessment of the human health and environmental risks of novel (nano) materials.  The Federal Ministry of Education and Research is providing 2.22 million euro to fund the project, which will be coordinated by BfR and includes ten partners from public authorities, academia, and industry.  BfR states that until now, nanosafety...

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) April 2019 issue of its Chemical Safety and Biosafety Progress Report includes an update on OECD’s work to determine the safety of manufactured nanomaterials.  The Report notes that the applicability of OECD Test Guidelines for nanomaterials continues to be a major concern of the work of the Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials (WPMN).  WPMN agreed to work on three new projects related to testing...

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has published standard ISO/TS 21361:2019, “Nanotechnologies — Method to quantify air concentrations of carbon black and amorphous silica in the nanoparticle size range in a mixed dust manufacturing environment.”  The standard provides guidelines to quantify and identify particles of carbon black and/or amorphous silica in air samples collected in a mixed dust industrial manufacturing environment.  The guidelines describe air sample...

On March 5-6, 2019, a workshop on “Fostering EU‐U.S. Cooperation in Nanosafety” was held.  According to the workshop report, the workshop intended to answer two main questions: What should be the future research priorities in nanosafety and other advanced materials; and What are the opportunities for European Union (EU)‐U.S. cooperation priorities in nanosafety. The discussion was based on the state of implementation of the 2013 report, Nanosafety in Europe...

An Advisory Group of 29 scientists from 18 countries met on March 25-27, 2019, to recommend priorities for the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Monographs program during 2020-2024.  The Advisory Group assessed the response to a public call for nominations and considered more than 170 unique candidate agents, including the recommended priorities remaining from a similar Advisory Group meeting convened in 2014.  The Advisory Group deliberated on all nominated agents both by...

On April 23, 2019, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published a Federal Register notice inviting comment on a proposed information collection project entitled “Survey of Engineered Nanomaterial Occupational Safety and Health Practices.”  The goal of the project is to assess the relevance and impact of NIOSH’s contribution to guidelines and risk mitigation practices for the safe handling of engineered nanomaterials in the workplace. ...

On May 16, 2019, the American Chemical Society (ACS) will hold a webinar on working safely with nanomaterials in the laboratory.  Chuck Geraci, Associate Director for Emerging Technologies at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), will moderate a panel including: Ken Kretchman, Director of Environmental Safety, NC State University; Craig Merlic, Professor of Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA); and Debbie Decker, Chemical and...

On April 18, 2019, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a Federal Register notice announcing that it is extending the comment period for its February 26, 2019, proposed rule that would put into effect a final monograph for nonprescription, over-the-counter (OTC) sunscreen drug products.  The proposed rule describes the conditions under which FDA proposes that OTC sunscreen monograph products are generally recognized as safe and effective (GRASE) and not...

On April 17, 2019, the Ministry of Ecological and Solidarity Transition issued a press release announcing that France will prohibit foods containing food additive E171 (titanium dioxide) from being placed on the market beginning January 1, 2020.  The press release cites the April 15, 2019, opinion from the Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l’alimentation, de l’environnement et du travail (ANSES).  The expert group established by ANSES conducted a literature review on the...

The NanoBusiness Commercialization Association (NanoBCA) will hold its 18th Annual NanoBusiness Conference on June 4, 2019, in Washington, D.C.  Speakers will include: Arpana Verma, Ph.D., Chief Science Officer, NanoMech Industries, Inc.; Doyle Edwards, Director, Government Programs, Brewer Science; Lynn L. Bergeson, Managing Director, Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.; Hugues Jacquemin, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), OCSiAI LLC; Paul Stimers, Partner, K&L Gates; Deb...

On January 22-24, 2019, a Mexico-European Union (EU) workshop on nanosafety was held in Mexico.  The aim of the workshop was to establish a stronger connection between the Mexican and European research communities within the context of bringing scientific information to the risk assessment, risk management, and policy levels.  According to the workshop report, Mexico is eligible to participate in the EU’s Horizon 2020 and Ninth EU Framework Programs, and the January workshop was...

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) held a stakeholder workshop on April 1-2, 2019, on the implementation of its guidance on the risk assessment of applications of nanosciences and nanotechnologies in the food and feed chain.  As reported in our July 5, 2018, blog item, “EFSA Publishes New Guidance on Nanotechnologies in Food and Feed,” in July 2018, EFSA published new guidance on how to assess the safety of nanoscience and nanotechnology applications. ...

TechConnect World Innovation Conference and Expo will be held June 17-19, 2019.  It will include the third installment of a panel started three years ago, “Tools and Techniques:  Applying the Best Health, Safety, and Environment Practices to Advanced Manufacturing.”  The Symposium Co-Chairs include: Sally Tinkle, Senior Strategy and Policy Advisor, IDA/Science and Technology Policy Institute; Chuck Geraci, Associate Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and...

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has posted the draft version of a guidance document, Appendix for nanoforms applicable to the Guidance on Registration and substance identification.  The draft guidance is being reviewed by a Partner Expert Group (PEG).  The draft Appendix has been developed to provide advice to registrants preparing registration dossiers that cover nanoforms.  It states that the advice provided covers nanospecific advice for issues related with registration and...

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health’s (Cal/OSHA) Health Effects Advisory Committee (HEAC) for the Development of Permissible Exposure Limits (PEL) will meet on June 4, 2019.  According to the meeting agenda, HEAC will discuss the selection of Priority 1 substances for HEAC review.  HEAC has posted a draft 2019 Priority 1 List consisting of ten chemical substances.  The draft List includes titanium dioxide, ultrafine (<100 nanometers...

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has published standard ISO/TR 19733:2019, “Nanotechnologies — Matrix of properties and measurement techniques for graphene and related two-dimensional (2D) materials.”  ISO states that since graphene was discovered in 2004, it has become one of the most attractive materials in application research and device industry due to its supreme material properties such as mechanical strength, stiffness and elasticity, high electrical and...

Registration is available for the National Nanotechnology Initiative’s (NNI) April 9, 2019, webinar on “Characterization and Quantification of Engineered Nanomaterials:  Drivers of NanoEHS Research.”  The speaker will be Dr. Robert MacCuspie, Natural Immunogenics Corp., and Dr. Debra Kaiser, National Institute of Standards and Technology, will moderate.  The webinar will examine the significant progress in characterization and measurement of engineered...

The March 18, 2019, episode of the National Nanotechnology Initiative’s (NNI) podcast series, “Stories from the NNI,” is a conservation with Dr. Chuck Geraci, Associate Director for Emerging Technologies at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).  Dr. Lisa Friedersdorf, Director of the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO), and Dr. Geraci discuss how NIOSH works with industry to ensure workplace safety, the progress that has been made in the...

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) published a March 19, 2019, Federal Register notice announcing that it will hold a public hearing on May 1, 2019, to receive views from all interested parties about the CPSC’s agenda and priorities for fiscal years (FY) 2020, which begins on October 1, 2019, and 2021, which begins on October 1, 2020.  CPSC seeks comment on the following questions: What are the priorities CPSC should consider emphasizing...

The National Nanotechnology Initiative’s (NNI) 2019 public webinar series on the environmental, health, and safety effects of nanomaterials (nanoEHS) will begin on April 9, 2019, at 12:00 p.m. (EDT) with a presentation by Dr. Robert MacCuspie (Natural Immunogenics Corp.) on “Characterization and Quantification of Engineered Nanomaterials:  Drivers of NanoEHS Research.”  Upcoming webinars will include “Environmental, Health, and Safety Resources for Handling, Transporting, and...

On March 15, 2019, the European Commission’s (EC) Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) published its preliminary opinion on the solubility of synthetic amorphous silica (SAS).  The EC asked whether the SCCS considers that SAS are soluble (100 milligram per liter (mg/L) or higher) or degradable/non-persistent in biological systems in light of the nanomaterial definition of the Cosmetics Regulation.  Having considered the data provided in this dossier and that available...

The 2019 U.S.-European Union (EU) NanoEHS Communities of Research (COR) Workshop will take place October 15-16, 2019, at the Europole de l’Arbois in Aix en Provence, France.  The workshop is organized by the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) and the European Commission (EC).  The agenda for the October 2018 Bridging NanoEHS Research Efforts Joint Workshop and the following presentations are available: Carlos Eduardo Lima da Cunha, EC, “EU...

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has published standard ISO/TR 21386, “Nanotechnologies — Considerations for the measurement of nano-objects and their aggregates and agglomerates (NOAA) in environmental matrices.”  The standard provides some considerations for the collection of environmental samples to be analyzed for manufactured NOAA, considerations to distinguish manufactured NOAA from background levels of naturally occurring nanoscale particles of the same...

The European Commission’s (EC) Joint Research Center (JRC) opens its scientific laboratories and facilities, including its Nanobiotechnology Laboratory, to people working in academia and research organizations, industry, and small and medium enterprises (SME).  JRC opened a call on February 1, 2019, for the Nanobiotechnology Laboratory for the following priority topics: Nanomaterial characterization, including their interactions with biological systems (culture media, proteins);...

The National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO) announced on February 28, 2019, that it is planning a number of activities to celebrate the 15-year anniversary of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI).  Upcoming events will include: Special anniversary episodes of “Stories from the NNI” podcast series. Experts from academia, government, and industry share their perspectives on key research and development advances in nanotechnology.  They also discuss how...

The February 2019 issue of the European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA) Newsletter includes an interview with Eva Valsami-Jones, Professor of Environmental Nanoscience at the University of Birmingham and leader of the European Union (EU) NanoSafety Cluster Coordination Team, on research on the safety of nanomaterials.  The NanoSafety Cluster coordinates the funding of research projects at the European level that address the safety aspects of nanomaterials and the related...

On February 21, 2019, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) posted a report entitled Science & Technology Highlights in the Second Year of the Trump Administration.  The report highlights science and technology achievements, including the following under “R&D Fundamentals”: Supporting and celebrating key advances in nanotechnology.  In December, OSTP’s National Nanotechnology Coordination Office celebrated the 15-year anniversary of the...

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is scheduled to publish a proposed rule in the Federal Register on February 26, 2019, that would put into effect a final monograph for nonprescription, over-the-counter (OTC) sunscreen drug products.  The proposed rule describes the conditions under which FDA proposes that OTC sunscreen monograph products are generally recognized as safe and effective (GRASE) and not misbranded.  FDA notes that it has not established...

On February 18, 2019, the European Union (EU) NanoSafety Cluster (NSC) announced that it is supporting the Malta Initiative by linking various projects with activities developed within the Malta Initiative.  According to NSC’s website, the Malta Initiative began in 2017, when Germany approached the EU Directorate-General (DG) for Research and Innovation to request political and financial support to develop and amend Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development...

The February 2019 issue of Computational Toxicology includes an article entitled “Grouping of multi-walled carbon nanotubes to read-across genotoxicity:  A case study to evaluate the applicability of regulatory guidance.”  The article describes a case study, performed by scientists at the European Commission’s (EC) Joint Research Center (JRC), to explore and illustrate read-across of genotoxicity data by following the “Recommendations for nanomaterials applicable to the Guidance on...

The European Commission’s (EC) Joint Research Center (JRC) published on February 13, 2019, a report entitled An overview of concepts and terms used in the European Commission’s definition of nanomaterial.  The report supports the implementation of the EC’s Recommendation on a definition of nanomaterial (2011/696/EU).  It addresses the definition’s key concepts and terms and discusses them in a regulatory context.  Corresponding to the broad scope of the definition, the report states...

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced on January 30, 2019, that it has submitted a restriction proposal for microplastic particles that are intentionally added to mixtures used by consumers or professionals.  According to ECHA, if adopted, the restriction could reduce the amount of microplastics released to the environment in the European Union (EU) “by about 400 thousand tonnes over 20 years.”  ECHA states that its assessment found that intentionally added...

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) will hold a stakeholder workshop on nanoscience and nanotechnology on April 1-2, 2019, in Parma, Italy.  As reported in our July 5, 2018, blog item, “EFSA Publishes New Guidance on Nanotechnologies in Food and Feed,” in July 2018, EFSA published new guidance on how to assess the safety of nanoscience and nanotechnology applications.  The guidance covers novel foods, food contact materials, food and feed additives, and pesticides, taking into...

The European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) provides information on nanomaterials to a wide audience on subjects including safety, innovation, and research.  It also covers the existing EU legislation on nanomaterials and the presence and uses of specific substances on the EU market.  EUON is currently conducting a survey to allow stakeholders to express their views on how EUON is performing and how it could be developed to meet their needs better.  EUON is funded by the...

The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH®) Threshold Limit Values for Chemical Substances (TLV®-CS) Committee has included carbon nanotubes on its 2019 list of chemical substances and other issues under study.  Being placed on the under study list indicates that the TLV®-CS Committee has selected carbon nanotubes for development of a threshold limit value (TLV®).  ACGIH® describes TLVs® as health-based values representing the...

On January 24, 2019, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published a document entitled Continuing to Protect the Nanotechnology Workforce:  NIOSH Nanotechnology Research Plan for 2018-2025.  NIOSH is using the Nanotechnology Research Plan for fiscal years (FY) 2018-2025 as a roadmap to advance:  (1) understanding of nanotechnology-related toxicology and workplace exposures; and (2) implementation of appropriate risk management practices...

On January 9, 2019, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) announced a three-month delay in its enforcement of the Household Cleansing Product Information Disclosure Program (Disclosure Program), from July 1, 2019, to October 1, 2019.  NYSDEC published its announcement in the January 9, 2019, Environmental Notice Bulletin.  As reported in our June 8, 2018, blog item, the Disclosure Program requires manufacturers of cleaning...