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On March 16, 2020, the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) announced publication of an article in the May 2020 issue of Environmental Research entitled “Nanoparticle exposure and hazard in the ceramic industry: an overview of potential sources, toxicity and health effects.” In the article, the researchers provide an overview of the current knowledge on occupational exposure to nanoparticles in the ceramic industry and their...
March 11, 2020
ISO Standard Specifies Characteristics and Measurement Methods for Carbon Nanotube Suspensions
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has published standard ISO/TS 19808:2020, “Nanotechnologies — Carbon nanotube suspensions — Specification of characteristics and measurement methods.” The standard specifies the characteristics to be measured of suspensions containing multi-walled carbon nanotubes (carbon nanotube suspensions). The standard includes the essential and additional characteristics of the carbon nanotube suspension, and the corresponding...
March 10, 2020
SCCS Guidance on Safety Assessment of Nanomaterials in Cosmetics Published in Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology
The European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) announced on March 3, 2020, that the April 2020 issue of Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology includes “The SCCS guidance on the safety assessment of nanomaterials in cosmetics.” The highlights state that: The article is available for purchase through the Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology website. As reported in our November 5, 2019, blog item, SCCS published an...
On March 3, 2020, the European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) published a Nanopinion entitled “‘Nanoplastics’ — it’s a name game.” Claire Skentelbery, Director General, Nanotechnology Industries Association (NIA), reviews the difference between engineered (manufactured) nanomaterials and naturally originating (incidental) nanomaterials. Skentelbery notes that use of the term “nanoplastics,” without describing their origins, “risks the perception...
On March 4, 2020, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published a Federal Register notice announcing the availability of its Current Intelligence Bulletin 69: NIOSH Practices in Occupational Risk Assessment. 85 Fed. Reg. 12786. The Current Intelligence Bulletin (CIB) describes the process and logic NIOSH uses to conduct risk assessments, including the following steps: Appendix C of the CIB includes sections addressing nanomaterials...
March 3, 2020
EPA Extends Comment Period for Proposed Registration Decision for New Nanosilver Product
As reported in our February 13, 2020 blog item, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on February 12, 2020, that it is seeking public input on a proposal to incorporate a new nanosilver pesticide product into textiles to combat odors, discoloration, and other signs of wear. The proposed registration decision is for NSPW Nanosilver, and the proposed pesticide product, Polyguard-NSPW Master Batch (Polyguard), will be incorporated into textiles to suppress bacteria, algae,...
The Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) issues Technical Rules for Hazardous Substances (TRGS), which reflect the state of technology, occupational safety and health, and occupational hygiene, as well as other verified scientific knowledge relating to activities involving hazardous substances, including their classification and labeling. BAuA has published an English translation of TRGS 527: “Activities with nanomaterials.” TRGS 527 contains...
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) issued a press release on February 24, 2020, stating that it has received a low number of registration dossiers for nanomaterials. ECHA states that it has received only 95 unique submissions for 36 substances covering nanoforms according to the updated Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation requirements. ECHA expected to receive updated registrations for approximately 300 substances, based...
On February 19, 2020, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) posted a Science Blog item entitled “Are There Nano- and Microplastics in the Workplace?” that reviews workplace exposure to microplastics (defined by NIOSH as “plastic particles smaller than 5 mm”) and nanoplastics (the nanoscale fraction of plastic particles). NIOSH states that nano- and microplastic particles (NMPP) “can be formed through environmental and mechanical degradation (the...
On January 28, 2020, the European Union (EU) published The NanoDefine Methods Manual, a collection of three Joint Research Center (JRC) reports developed within the NanoDefine project “Development of an integrated approach based on validated and standardized methods to support the implementation of the EC recommendation for a definition of nanomaterial.” According to the Manual, the overall goal of the NanoDefine project was to support the implementation of the European Commission...