As reported in our June 19, 2017, blog item, the European Commission (EC) published a catalog of nanomaterials used in cosmetic products on the European Union (EU) market. On February 5, 2018, the European Union Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) published a table linking nanomaterials listed in the catalog to their Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) registration data in the European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA)...
February 2, 2018
EFSA Publishes Safety Assessment of Selenium Nanoparticles for Use in Active Food Contact Materials
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Panel on Food Contact Materials, Enzymes, Flavorings, and Processing Aids evaluated food contact material (FCM) Substance No. 1070, which incorporates selenium nanoparticles into the adhesive middle layer of multilayer laminates with an outside polyethylene terephthalate (PET) layer and an inner polyolefin (food contact) layer. The results of the Panel’s evaluation are published in the January 2018 issue of the EFSA Journal in an...
January 31, 2018
ACGIH® TLV®-CS Committee Seeks Information on Carbon Nanotubes
The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH®) Threshold Limit Values for Chemical Substances (TLV®-CS) Committee has included carbon nanotubes on its 2018 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...
January 29, 2018
Belgium Modifies Royal Decree Regarding the Placement on the Market of Substances Manufactured at the Nanoscale, Requires Registration of Mixtures
Belgium published in the January 15, 2018, Official Gazette an amendment to the Royal Decree regarding the placement on the market of substances manufactured at the nanoscale. Under the amendment, cosmetic products as defined by the July 2012 Belgian Royal Decree on cosmetic products are exempt from registration, and provisions regarding the registration of mixtures entered into force on January 1, 2018. As reported in our October 27, 2014, blog item, substances defined as...
January 24, 2018
EC Committee Publishes Final Opinion on Titanium Dioxide (Nano Form) as UV-Filter in Sprays
The European Commission (EC) Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) published on January 24, 2018, its final opinion on titanium dioxide (nano form) as an ultraviolet (UV)-filter in sprays. The EC asked SCCS to address the following questions: SCCS reviewed data submitted by industry in July 2015 and concluded that “the information provided is insufficient to allow assessment of the safety of the use of nano-TiO2 in spray applications that could lead to exposure of...
The Office of Science and Technology Policy published a Federal Register notice on January 23, 2018, announcing that the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO), on behalf of the Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology (NSET) Subcommittee of the Committee on Technology, National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), “will facilitate stakeholder discussion of targeted nanotechnology topics through workshops, webinars, and Community of Interest meetings between...
January 22, 2018
ECHA Management Board Reviews Strategy on Substances in Nanoforms
During its December 14-15, 2017, meeting, the Management Board of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) discussed ECHA’s strategy on substances in nanoforms. According to the strategy, following recent rulings of the Board of Appeal, the “possibility for using dossier and substance evaluation under the current legal text of [the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation] to verify safe use of nanomaterials on the EU market has become...
January 16, 2018
NIOSH Will Use Experience in Managing Engineered Nanomaterials to Address Advanced Manufacturing
Charles Geraci, PhD, CIH, FAIHA, Associate Director for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and Laura Hodson, MSPH, CIH, FAIHA, Coordinator of the NIOSH Nanotechnology Research Center, co-authored an article entitled “From ‘Just in Time’ to ‘Just Next Door’: 21st-century Manufacturing Challenges and Opportunities for Industrial Hygienists.” The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) published...
January 12, 2018
EFSA Begins Public Consultation on Guidance for the Risk Assessment of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Applications
On January 12, 2018, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) opened a public consultation on its draft guidance for the risk assessment of nanoscience and nanotechnology applications in the food and feed chain. The guidance covers the relevant areas within EFSA’s remit, such as novel foods, food contact materials, food and feed additives, and pesticides. EFSA notes that the guidance takes account of scientific developments that have taken place since publication of the previous...
January 10, 2018
IOSH Publishes Research Report and Industry Guidance on Nanotechnology in Construction and Demolition
On January 8, 2018, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) announced the availability of a research report on nanotechnology in construction and demolition, as well as guidance for industry. The aim of the research was to provide clarity regarding the current use of nanomaterials in the built environment and the potential benefits and risks arising for those working in the construction and demolition sectors. Research included review of academic...