On June 26, 2019, the Council of the European Union (EU) announced that it adopted conclusions on chemicals intended to “offer political guidance on the development of a sustainable EU chemicals policy strategy.” The June 26, 2019, press release notes that the conclusions address in particular the topics of Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation, endocrine disruptors, nanomaterials, and pharmaceuticals. According to the...
July 1, 2021
EC Committee Needs More Data to Assess Safety of the Nanomaterials Gold, Colloidal Gold, and Surface Modified Gold
The European Commission’s (EC) Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) published a final opinion on June 28, 2021, on gold (nano), colloidal gold (nano), gold thioethylamino hyaluronic acid (nano), and acetyl heptapeptide-9 colloidal gold (nano). The EC asked SCCS whether the nanomaterials gold, colloidal gold, gold thioethylamino hyaluronic acid, and acetyl heptapeptide-9 colloidal gold are safe when used in leave-on skin cosmetic products according to the maximum concentrations and...
June 29, 2021
EC Committee States More Data Needed to Assess Safety of Notified Platinum Nanomaterials
On June 28, 2021, the European Commission’s (EC) Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) published its final opinion on platinum (nano), colloidal platinum (nano), and acetyl tetrapeptide-17 colloidal platinum (nano). The EC asked SCCS whether it considers the nanomaterials A (platinum and colloidal platinum ) and B (acetyl tetrapeptide-17 (and) colloidal platinum) safe when used in leave-on cosmetic products according to the maximum concentrations and specifications reported,...
June 28, 2021
Registration Opens for Workshop on the Future of NNI
On August 1-2, 2019, the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) will hold “The Future of the NNI: A Stakeholder Workshop.” The NNI has played a pivotal role in fostering and advancing a dynamic nanotechnology ecosystem in support of the initiative’s four goals: advance world-class research; foster commercialization; develop and sustain research infrastructure; and support the responsible development of nanotechnology. Building on this foundation, experts from...
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has published standard ISO/TS 22292:2021, “Nanotechnologies — 3D image reconstruction of rod-supported nano-objects using transmission electron microscopy.” ISO states that the standard provides guidance for sample preparation, data acquisition by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), data processing, and three-dimensional (3D) image reconstruction to measure size and shape parameters of nano-objects on rod-shaped supports....
June 18, 2021
EU Survey Seeks Information on Needs for Integration of Nanofabrication Industrial Ecosystem
The SUSNANOFAB project, funded by the European Union’s (EU) Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program, is conducting a survey on industrial needs. The SUSNANOFAB project intends to create a nanofabrication ecosystem that will include an integrated roadmap of the relevant public and private initiatives at the EU level and with international cooperation. According to SUSNANOFAB, this roadmap will define a common strategy intended to enable “all pre-competitive conditions for the...
June 11, 2021
Workshop on GRACIOUS Approach to Quality Assessment of Nanosafety Data Will Be Held June 28
On June 28, 2021, Gov4Nano will hold a workshop on the GRACIOUS approach to the quality assessment of nanosafety data. GRACIOUS, a European Union (EU) H2020 project, has proposed a methodology to facilitate the evaluation of quality and completeness for sets of nanomaterial physicochemical and (eco)toxicological data based on established criteria, i.e., completeness, reliability, relevance, and adequacy. Gov4Nano states that this approach “is unique in the sense that it can...
On June 3, 2021, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) published an interview with Aurélie Niaudet, who is in charge of assessing the risks associated with physical agents. Niaudet states that nanomaterials have novel properties that “are highly sought after and increasingly exploited, but can also induce specific types of behaviour when interacting with humans or the environment.” After the human body is exposed, “there is then the question...
June 6, 2021
ISO Guidance Specifies Characteristics and Measurement Methods for Antibacterial Silver Nanoparticles
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has published standard ISO/TS 20660:2019, “Nanotechnologies — Antibacterial silver nanoparticles — Specification of characteristics and measurement methods.” The standard provides guidance for the specification of characteristics and relevant measurement methods for silver nanoparticles in powder or colloidal forms that are intended for antibacterial applications in nanotechnology. ISO states that the standard is...
On May 31, 2021, the European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) published a Nanopinion entitled “Updating our language: why we should not paint all nanoforms with the same brush” by Chiara Venturini, Director General of the Nanotechnology Industries Association (NIA). Venturini reviews how the EU’s language has evolved. In 2011, the European Commission (EC) adopted a definition that describes a nanomaterial as a material at the nanoscale. In 2020, the EC amended Annex II...