On August 14, 2017, as the final Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Section 8(a) information gathering rule on nanomaterials took effect, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published “working guidance” intended to assist stakeholders in complying with the rule. The working guidance notes that it “will not provide answers to all of the potential questions that will arise as manufacturers and processors seek to comply with the rule. Commenters to the draft guidance asked...
August 8, 2017
ClientEarth Files Complaint with EU Ombudsman over EC Catalog of Nanomaterials Used in Cosmetic Products
ClientEarth announced on July 31, 2017, that it filed a complaint with the European Union (EU) Ombudsman about the European Commission’s (EC) “unlawful handling of a long-delayed list of nano-chemicals in cosmetics.” As reported in our June 19, 2017, blog item, the EC published June 15, 2017, a catalog of nanomaterials used in cosmetic products on the EU market. ClientEarth states that “[d]espite the lengthy delay, the list still does not let people...
August 7, 2017
EC Publishes NanoData Landscape Compilation Reports
On June 8, 2017, the European Commission (EC) published eight NanoData Landscape Compilation reports. The EC states that the reports offer a snapshot of the environment for nanotechnology in different application fields:...
August 4, 2017
NIEHS Using Survey to Update 2012-2017 Strategic Plan
Dr. Linda S. Birnbaum, Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), wrote an editorial in Environmental Health Perspectives on “Updating the NIEHS Strategic Plan.” According to Birnbaum, NIEHS is developing a plan to guide its next five years and seeks broad input. NIEHS has created an online survey, “Trends & Insights: Next Steps for NIEHS,” through which stakeholders can provide feedback on the existing Strategic Plan, as well as...
On July 20, 2017, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced 13 grants worth $4.6 million for research on the next generation of agricultural technologies and systems to meet the growing demand for food, fuel, and fiber. NIFA states that funded projects support nanotechnology-based solutions that improve food production, nutrition, sustainable agriculture, and food safety. The announced grants include:...
On July 17, 2017, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published a Federal Register notice announcing it submitted a proposed information collection to the Office of Management and Budget for review and approval. The proposed project is “Survey of Engineered Nanomaterial Occupational Safety and Health Practices.” As reported in our February 14, 2017, blog item, NIOSH invited comment on the proposed survey on February 10, 2017. NIOSH will survey companies...
July 26, 2017
EC Publishes Final Report of Nanocomput Project
In July 2017, the European Commission’s (EC) Joint Research Center (JRC) published a report entitled Evaluation of the availability and applicability of computational approaches in the safety assessment of nanomaterials: Final report of the Nanocomput project. The main aims of the Nanocomput Project were to review and assess the current status of computational methods that are potentially useful for predicting the properties of engineered nanomaterials to provide advice on the use of...
July 25, 2017
NIOSH Publishes Chapter on Analysis of Carbon Nanotubes and Nanofibers on Filters by Transmission Electron Microscopy
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has published a chapter in the fifth edition of the NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods (NMAM) entitled “Analysis of Carbon Nanotubes and Nanofibers on Mixed Cellulose Ester Filters by Transmission Electron Microscopy.” The draft chapter provides standardized approaches for the analysis of carbon nanoparticles. The chapter provides detailed guidance on effective means to perform transmission electron microscopic analysis...
Since July 20, 2017, when the Trump Administration published its Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions, the entry for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) item (RIN 2070-AJ54) concerning the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Section 8(a) reporting rule for nanoscale materials has been revised at least twice. As reported in our July 20, 2017, blog item, the Unified Agenda item stated that the final rule effective date is “To Be Determined” (TBD). On July...
The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) will hold a webinar on July 27, 2017, entitled “The National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI) Nodes and Environmental Research: Examples from the Field.” The National Science Foundation (NSF) supports NNCI, which includes 16 user facility sites, their affiliated partners, and a coordinating office. NNCI sites provide researchers, academics, small and large businesses, and government scientists with access to...