Nano and Other Emerging Chemical Technologies Blog

On May 6, 2021, the European Food Safety Association (EFSA) announced that E171 is no longer considered safe when used as a food additive.  The European Commission (EC) asked EFSA to update its safety assessment of the food additive titanium dioxide (E171).  EFSA states:  “Taking into account all available scientific studies and data, the Panel [on Food Additives and Flavorings] concluded that titanium dioxide can no longer be considered safe as a food additive. ...

In 2011, the European Commission (EC) adopted a Recommendation on the definition of a nanomaterial.  The Recommendation invites member states, European Union (EU) agencies, and economic operators to use the definition “in the adoption and implementation of legislation and policy and research programmes concerning products of nanotechnologies.”  The EC is now reviewing its Recommendation.  It has launched a targeted stakeholder consultation to update, test, and...

In fall 2020, the Swedish National Platform for Nanosafety (SweNanoSafe) organized three workshops on education within nanosafety, with the goal of starting and consolidating an education network.  The first workshop focused on the need for education in nanosafety, the second workshop was on available education on nanosafety in Sweden, and the third workshop discussed concrete opportunities to take various education efforts one step further.  On May 5, 2021, SweNanoSafe...

On April 29, 2021, the European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) published a Nanopinion entitled “Biotransformation of nanomaterials while transferring in the food chain” by Dr. Fazel A. Monikh.  As the application of nanomaterials increases, more of these materials are released in the environment.  Monikh states that some nanomaterials that are persistent in the environment raise concerns as they can enter organisms’ bodies, accumulate in their organs, and...

The Nanotechnology Industries Association (NIA) has published a March 2021 position paper, A changing regulatory landscape and language for the nanoscale, that examines the transition from “nanomaterial” to “nanoforms” to reflect better the differences in nanomaterial properties both in relation to bulk counterparts and to nanoforms of the same substance.  In the paper, NIA describes a transition phase where the language of nanoforms is used more widely and examples of nanoform...

On April 16, 2021, the European Commission (EC) Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) posted two preliminary opinions for comment:  Opinion on Gold (nano), Colloidal Gold (nano), Gold Thioethylamino Hyaluronic Acid (nano) and Acetyl heptapeptide-9 Colloidal gold (nano) and Opinion on Platinum (nano), Colloidal Platinum (nano) and Acetyl tetrapeptide-17 Colloidal Platinum (nano).  The EC asked SCCS whether the nanomaterials gold and colloidal gold, gold...

On April 12, 2021, the European Commission (EC) Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) published its final opinion on hydroxyapatite (nano).  The EC asked whether SCCS considers the nanomaterial hydroxyapatite safe when used in leave-on and rinse-off dermal and oral cosmetic products according to the maximum concentrations and specifications reported, taking into account reasonably foreseeable exposure conditions.  SCCS states that having considered the data provided, and...

Registration is open for the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative’s (NNI) April 27, 2021, webinar on “What We Know about NanoEHS:  Environment.”  The webinar will feature experts from diverse disciplines to share their perspectives on key findings on the effects of engineered nanomaterials in the environment.  Elijah Petersen, Ph.D., Research Scientist, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), will moderate the panel, which will include: Jorge...

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published a news item on April 1, 2021, entitled “The Science of Tiny Little Things.”  According to the item, ISO has recently made some revisions and updates to its comprehensive 13-part series of International Standards for nanotechnology.  Updated standards include ISO/TS 80004-3, Nanotechnologies – Vocabulary – Part 3:  Carbon nano-objects, which defines terms and concepts for carbon...

The European Commission (EC) has requested a scientific opinion from the Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks (SCHEER) on the safety of titanium dioxide in toys with regard to a possible derogation from its prohibition.  The Toy Safety Directive 2009/48/EC prohibits the use of substances in toys if those substances are classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic for reproduction (CMR).  The use of such substances may be permitted under certain...

The Society of Toxicology (SOT) in conjunction with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) have partnered to provide a colloquia series on Emerging Toxicological Science:  Challenges in Food and Ingredient Safety.  The colloquia will present scientific information that is high-quality, cutting-edge, future-oriented toxicological science and is intended to provide a well-grounded foundation to inform the work of FDA...

NanoHarmony held a webinar on March 17, 2021, on “Identification and solving barriers for translating science to regulation and standards.”  According to NanoHarmony, the webinar focused on helping to identify the obstacles faced by stakeholders in developing new test methods and having them introduced as new test guidelines and guidance documents.  A recording of the webinar is now available online, as well as the following slides: Claus Svendsen, CEH, welcome and...

On March 19, 2021, the European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) published a Nanopinion entitled “ECETOC task force ensures society benefits from safe nanomaterials via efficient safety assessments that require minimal animal testing” by authors from BASF and the Center for Chemical Safety Assessment (ECETOC).  The column reviews ways to assess the safety of nanomaterials while minimizing animal testing.  According to the authors, the NanoApp developed by the ECETOC...

The European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) announced on March 19, 2021, that it is looking for topic suggestions that could be addressed in its upcoming studies.  According to EUON, up to three studies are conducted annually to address knowledge gaps on nanomaterials that are of interest to the general public and the research community.  EUON states that it seeks studies that address: Questions relating to the health and safety of nanomaterials, including...

Gov4Nano is a Horizon 2020 project that aims to design an effective risk governance process for nanotechnologies, including improving the availability of nano-relevant data.  To meet its aims, Gov4Nano is conducting a “Data Sharing and FAIR Data Use Survey” to obtain views and opinions from data users and producers on data availability and sharing and how these can be improved.  Gov4Nano seeks to determine how barriers to data availability can be lowered and incentives for data...

On March 4, 2021, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) announced that it is recommending an eight-hour occupational exposure limit (OEL) of 0.80 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) for titanium dioxide nanoparticles.  According to ANSES, compliance with this value “should help prevent lung inflammation, an effect that occurs at the lowest exposure concentrations.”  Due to the lack of available data on the immediate or...

On March 5, 2021, the European Commission’s (EC) Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) published its final opinion on copper (nano) and colloidal copper (nano).  According to the final opinion, nine manufacturers notified the EC about 36 different products containing nanosized copper.  After initial evaluation and a request for additional information, two manufacturers withdrew their products from the notification, and these seven products were excluded from evaluation,...

On March 10, 2021, the Nanotechnology Industries Association (NIA) will hold a webinar on “Designing a global trade strategy for nanomaterials.”  NIA Director General Chiara Venturini will begin the webinar by providing an overview of recent and upcoming global trade developments.  Ted Kalmbach, Chief Strategy Officer at NIA member BNNANO, will discuss the experience of a U.S.-based nanomaterial company on growing international sales and partnerships, addressing when and how to consider...

Registration is open for the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative’s (NNI) March 23, 2021, webinar on “What We Know About NanoEHS:  Human Exposure.”  The webinar will feature experts from diverse disciplines to share their perspectives on key findings in quantifying and assessing the effects of human exposure to nanomaterials.  Keana Scott, Ph.D., Physical Scientist, Materials Measurement Science Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology...

The March 2021 issue of Environmental Factor, a monthly newsletter published by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), includes an item entitled “New graphene nanochannel filters hold promise for contaminant clean-up.”  According to the item, an NIEHS-funded study found a new strategy to design nanomaterials to filter contaminants better from water.  To improve the usefulness of graphene oxide nanosheets for filtering contaminants from liquid, the...