On October 12, 2017, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) announced the release of 17 new, updated, corrected, or deleted Test Guidelines. The Test Guidelines include three specifically developed for nanomaterials. OECD states that Test Guideline 318: Dispersion Stability of Nanomaterials in Simulated Environmental Media provides a simple and effective tool that can analyze the dispersion stability of nanomaterials in aqueous media. It is one of the...
October 11, 2017
EC Proposes to Amend REACH Annexes to Address Nanomaterials
On October 9, 2017, the European Commission (EC) began a public consultation on a draft regulation that would amend Annexes I, III, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, and XII of the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation to address nanoforms of substances. The draft regulation states that: Clarifications to requirements for the registration of substances with nanoforms and related downstream user obligations should be included in Annexes I,...
As reported in our August 30, 2017, blog item, the “Technology Development Pathways: Case Studies from the [National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI)]” workshop will be held November 1, 2017. According to NNI, the workshop will showcase application areas where nanotechnology has had commercial impact. Keynote presentations will highlight the pathways companies have taken to get from research to commercialization. Panel discussions will focus on specific...
The European Commission (EC) Joint Research Center (JRC) has published the NANoREG Toolbox for the Safety Assessment of Nanomaterials. As reported in our May 8, 2017, blog item, JRC previously published a Science for Policy report entitled NANoREG framework for the safety assessment of nanomaterials. The report was developed within the NANoREG project, “A common European approach to the regulatory testing of nanomaterials.” The NANoREG framework represents the project’s proposal...
October 4, 2017
EPA Promulgates Final SNUR for Bimodal Mixture Consisting of MWCNTs and Other Classes of CNTs
On October 3, 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promulgated a final significant new use rule (SNUR) under Section 5(a)(2) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for the chemical substance identified generically as bimodal mixture consisting of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and other classes of carbon nanotubes (CNT), which was the subject of premanufacture notice (PMN) P-11-482. This action requires persons who intend to manufacture (defined by...
October 2, 2017
NIA Will Hold Webinar on Safe by Design for Nanomaterials
On October 24, 2017, the Nanotechnology Industries Association (NIA) will hold a webinar on Safe by Design for nanomaterials. NIA states that the webinar is free and open to all actors interested in nanomaterials and their safe management throughout their lifecycle, using the principles of Safe by Design from the earliest development stages. According to NIA, the webinar will bring together projects active in the creation of Safe by Design across Europe to inform participants of the...
September 29, 2017
Switzerland Intends to Require Notification of Fibrous Nanomaterials Placed on the Market
On September 29, 2017, Switzerland notified the European Commission (EC) of a draft amendment to the Ordinance on Protection against Dangerous Substances and Preparations. The notification states that the Ordinance on Protection against Dangerous Substances and Preparations regulates the risk assessment of chemicals and the requirements to be fulfilled for using and placing on the market of chemicals that could endanger human health or the environment. According to the...
September 28, 2017
ECHA Announces RAC Concludes on Opinion for Harmonized Classification and Labeling for Titanium Dioxide
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced on September 27, 2017, that the Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) concluded on ten opinions for harmonized classification and labeling (CLH), including titanium dioxide. In May 2016, France submitted a CLH proposal for titanium dioxide, stating that titanium dioxide should be considered as being potentially carcinogenic to humans when inhaled and thus be classified as category 1B-H350i. France proposed that the classification...
September 27, 2017
OECD Tour de Table Highlights International Developments on the Safety of Manufactured Nanomaterials
On September 27, 2017, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) published a corrected version of the Developments in Delegations on the Safety of Manufactured Nanomaterials — Tour De Table, which covers developments on the safety of manufactured nanomaterials that were provided by OECD delegations from March to August 2017. It summarizes relevant information on activities related to manufactured nanomaterials, as well as other activities on nanotechnologies...
September 21, 2017
EPA Issues Direct Final SNURs for Carbon Nanotube (Generic) and Nanocarbon (Generic)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promulgated on September 21, 2017, significant new use rules (SNUR) for 37 chemical substances that were the subject of premanufacture notices (PMN). Six of the chemical substances, including carbon nanotube (generic) and nanocarbon (generic), are subject to consent orders issued by EPA under Section 4 of the Toxic Substances Control Act. The SNURs require persons who intend to manufacture (defined by statute to include import) or...