Nano and Other Emerging Chemical Technologies Blog

Registration is now open for the National Nanotechnology Initiative’s (NNI) 2021 NNI Strategic Planning Stakeholder Workshop:  Charting the Path Forward, which will be held January 11-13, 2021.  NNI states that over the past 20 years, it has supported nanotechnology discovery, development, and deployment and has nurtured the strong ecosystem that exists today.  Building on this foundation, nanoscience will underpin a wide range of advanced technologies and enable...

On November 10, 2020, the Senate Committee on Appropriations released 12 fiscal year (FY) 2021 appropriations bills and explanatory statements.  The bill for the Department of the Interior, environment, and related agencies includes funding for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  The explanatory statement for the bill includes language regarding nanomaterials research at EPA and states: The Committee notes the increased capabilities that the Food and...

On November 2, 2020, the European Commission (EC) requested a scientific opinion from the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) on the ultraviolet (UV) filter HAA299 (nano) (chemical name “2-(4-(2-(4-Diethylamino-2 hydroxy-benzoyl)-benzoyl)-piperazine-1-carbonyl)-phenyl)-(4-diethylamino-2-hydroxyphenyl)-methanone”).  According to the EC’s request, the applicant seeks to assess the safety of HAA299 (nano) for use as a UV filter up to a maximum concentration of...

On November 9, 2020, the European Commission (EC) Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) published two draft opinions for public comment.  In the preliminary opinion on hydroxyapatite (nano), SCCS considered whether the nanomaterial hydroxyapatite is safe when used in leave-on and rinse-off dermal and oral cosmetic products according to the reported maximum concentrations and specifications, taking into account reasonably foreseeable exposure conditions.  SCCS states that...

The Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization (SNO) and the Nanotechnology, Occupational and Environmental Health (NanOEH) Committee have partnered to present the 9th NANO Conference.  This conference combines the interests of SNO and NanOEH by offering a virtual program containing sessions that are of interest to both groups. SNO is a permanent non-profit corporation that provides the infrastructure to carry out its mission of research, education, and responsibility related to both...

According to the Toxics Use Reduction Institute’s (TURI) website, the Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA) Program in Massachusetts has received a petition to list carbon nanotubes (both single-walled and multi-walled) and carbon nanofibers.  The TURA Science Advisory Board (SAB) is beginning the process of reviewing these substances and seeks additional information from stakeholders.  SAB’s primary role is to consider petitions to add or delete chemicals from the TURA list and...

On October 27, 2020, the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative published the National Nanotechnology Initiative Supplement to the President’s 2021 Budget (Supplement), which serves as the annual report for NNI, called for under the provisions of the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act.  According to the Supplement, the President’s 2021 budget requests more than $1.7 billion for NNI, with an increased investment in the foundational research intended to lead to...

The U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) will hold a virtual stakeholder workshop January 11-13, 2021.  NNI states that over the past 20 years, it has supported nanotechnology discovery, development, and deployment and has nurtured the strong ecosystem that exists today.  Building on this foundation, nanoscience will underpin a wide range of advanced technologies and enable solutions to challenges into the future.  As NNI enters its third decade, conversations...

The U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) will hold a webinar on November 4, 2020, on “Implantable Nanosensors:  A Forward-Looking View on Technical and Non-Technical Challenges.”  According to NNI, implantable nanosensors could revolutionize healthcare and improve real-time health monitoring.  NNI states that while there have been significant advances in developing implantable sensors for monitoring and responding to tissue growth, infection, and inflammation...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on October 15, 2020, a settlement with Electrolux Home Products, Inc., to resolve alleged violations of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).  As part of the settlement, Electrolux will pay a civil penalty in the amount of $6,991,400. EPA states that the settlement resolves claims that Electrolux imported unregistered pesticides in violation of FIFRA Section 12(a)(1)(A) and failed to file the...

On October 13, 2020, the Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology (NSET) Subcommittee published a request for information to inform the development of the 2021 National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) Strategic Plan.  85 Fed. Reg. 64535.  According to the Subcommittee, a restructuring of the NNI is under consideration.  The Subcommittee seeks response to the following questions to identify effective mechanisms, strategies for communication, and priority...

The European Parliament (EP) announced on October 8, 2020, that it objected to a European Commission (EC) proposal to amend the specification for the use of titanium dioxide (E171) in food products.  The EP rejected the EC’s proposal to reduce the amount of titanium dioxide (E171), instead calling on the EC “to apply the precautionary principle and to remove E171 from the EU list of permitted food additives that are currently used mainly to colour confectionery, bakery and pastry products...

The European Commission’s (EC) Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) began a public consultation on October 5, 2020, on a preliminary opinion entitled Scientific Advice on the Safety of Nanomaterials in Cosmetics.  The EC requested that SCCS determine the nanomaterials, as published in the 2019 catalogue of nanomaterials, for which specific concerns can be identified and justified to establish a priority list of nanomaterials for risk assessment (Article 16(4)...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Nanotechnology Task Force is celebrating NanoDay on October 9, 2020, by hosting a virtual research symposium to showcase more than a decade of progress and innovation in nanotechnology at FDA.  The agenda lists the following presentations: A Decade of Progress and Innovation in Nanotechnology at U.S. FDA; Considering Whether an FDA-Regulated Product Involves the Application of Nanotechnology; Regulatory Science Research in...

The Developmental and Reproductive Toxicant Identification Committee (DARTIC) of California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) will meet on December 10, 2020, to discuss the prioritization of 22 chemicals or chemical groups, including titanium dioxide nanoparticles.  DARTIC will provide OEHHA with advice on the prioritization of these chemicals for listing consideration at future meetings.  No listing decisions will be made at the meeting. ...

Beginning November 2, 2020, following the next release of the International Uniform Chemical Information Database (IUCLID), companies will be required to provide a name for the nanoforms or sets of nanoforms of their substance when registering nanomaterials under the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation.  According to an item in the European Chemicals Agency’s (ECHA) September 30, 2020, weekly news, companies that have already...

On September 17, 2020, the European Alliance for Access to Safe Medicines (EAASM) announced the availability of a report entitled Patient Safety and Nanomedicines:  The need for a centralised regulatory procedure.  According to EAASM, “[n]anomedicines and their follow-on products, also referred to as nanosimilars, are complex molecules and so regulatory oversight must be scientifically fit for purpose.”  The report makes three key recommendations intended to...

On September 17, 2020, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published final significant new use rules (SNUR) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for chemical substances that were the subject of premanufacture notices (PMN) and are subject to Orders issued by EPA pursuant to TSCA.  85 Fed. Reg. 57968.  The SNURs require persons who intend to manufacture (defined by statute to include import) or process any of these chemical substances for an activity that...

The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced on August 24, 2020, that it will invest a total of $84 million over five years in a renewal of the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI).  According to NSF, “NNCI’s 16 sites and coordinating office provide researchers from academia, large and small businesses, and government with access to leading-edge fabrication and characterization tools, instrumentation, and expertise across all disciplines of nanoscale...

On September 15, 2020, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) called for grant proposals on the use of new approach methodologies (NAM) for the hazard assessment of cellulose nanofibers.  EFSA states that the use of cellulose at the nanoscale is increasing and requires an assessment.  According to EFSA, the main concern is that the nanoscale characteristics (e.g., length/shape of the fibers) may influence the toxicokinetic and hazardous properties of cellulose nanofibers....

This week’s All Things Chemical™ Podcast will be of interest to readers of the Nano and Other Emerging Chemical Technologies Blog.  A brief description of the episode written by Lynn L. Bergeson is below. This week I sat down with Vincent Caprio, Founder and Executive Director of the NanoBusiness Commercialization Association (NanoBCA).  Vince has been on the forefront of nano innovations and optimizing opportunities for businesses to commercialize their nano creations for...

According to the Summer 2020 edition of the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO) Quarterly Newsletter, the 2020-2021 National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) nanomaterial environmental, health, and safety (nanoEHS) webinars will begin in November 2020.  According to the Newsletter, the Nanotechnology Environmental and Health Implications (NEHI) Working Group is planning nanoEHS webinars to present progress in the following areas:  nanomaterial...

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has posted the German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (BAuA) substance evaluation conclusion document for multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), synthetic graphite in tubular shape and tangled.  The conclusion provides a summary of how the information on the substance can be used for the purposes of regulatory risk management. Concern(s) Subject to Evaluation MWCNTs were originally selected for substance evaluation to...

On August 31, 2020, the European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) published a Nanopinion entitled “Nanosilver in healthcare — does the silver bullet exist?” by Dr. Dorota Napierska, Chemicals Policy and Projects Officer, Health Care Without Harm Europe (HCWH Europe).  Napierska examines how beneficial the properties of nanosilver are in clinical settings and the risks involved.  Napierska notes that a key point in assessing the toxicity of nanosilver is to adopt...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on August 27, 2020, that it submitted an information collection request (ICR), “Chemical-Specific Rules under the Toxic Substances Control Act Section 8(a); Certain Nanoscale Materials” to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA).  85 Fed. Reg. 52995.  The ICR covers reporting and recordkeeping requirements for persons who manufacture or...

The U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) and European Commission (EC) have organized the ninth annual meeting of the environmental, health, and safety effects of nanomaterials (nanoEHS) Communities of Research (COR) as a virtual workshop on September 16-17, 2020.  According to NNI, as the nanoEHS research ecosystem continues to evolve, the workshop will identify future needs and opportunities.  Conversations will further address how the lessons learned from...

The European Union’s (EU) Horizon 2020 project GRACIOUS has launched its stakeholder engagement platform and started an open consultation on the GRACIOUS Framework.  The GRACIOUS project invites stakeholders from industry, regulators, policy makers, consultants, non-governmental organizations (NGO), and academia to use the platform to provide their opinions on the progress within the project, including whether the structure of the GRACIOUS Framework is “clear and...

The European Union (EU)-funded projects NanoHarmony and NANOMET-Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have jointly organized a September 16, 2020, webinar on “The Pathway to Test Guidelines:  from science to standards for nanomaterials.”  Participants will learn how OECD develops Test Guidelines, using case studies from the Test Guidelines that are supported through the projects for expansion into nanomaterials.  The webinar will explain how novel...

The European Commission’s (EC) Joint Research Center (JRC) and the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (RTD) will jointly organize a virtual “Workshop on Safe and Sustainable Smart Nanomaterials” on September 9-10, 2020.  The workshop is focused on smart (responsive, multi-functional) nanomaterials, as such or embedded in products, that are developed for application in industrial sectors such as agriculture, food, packaging, and cosmetics.  The program is...

The NanoExplore project, which is supported by the European Union’s (EU) LIFE program, aims at an integrated approach for exposure and health effects monitoring of engineered and incidental nanomaterials in occupational settings.  The project is currently in its pilot phase.  According to NanoExplore, the pilot study will take place following a two-step procedure over two field campaigns separated by a six- or nine-month interval.  Each field campaign will last for four...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a report entitled Nanotechnology — Over a Decade of Progress and Innovation that highlights FDA’s advancements in the field of nanotechnology since it released its last report in 2007.  The report also reviews FDA’s role in advancing the public health through its regulation of products within its jurisdiction that involve the application of nanotechnology.  According to the report, FDA “will rely on a combination...

The Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme (AICIS) took effect on July 1, 2020.  Under AICIS, companies that import or manufacture (including introduce) industrial chemicals, or products that release industrial chemicals, into Australia for commercial purposes should first check whether the industrial chemical is listed on the Inventory.  If the chemical is on the Inventory and the introduction meets the terms of Inventory listing, the introduction is automatically...

As reported in our February 5, 2020, blog item, the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH®) Threshold Limit Values for Chemical Substances (TLV®-CS) Committee included carbon nanotubes on its 2020 list of chemical substances and other issues under study.  Being placed on the under study list indicated that the TLV®-CS Committee had selected carbon nanotubes for development of a threshold limit value (TLV®).  ACGIH® has now released...

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) recently published two guidance documents in its series on testing and assessment: Guidance Document on Aquatic and Sediment Toxicological Testing of Nanomaterials (No. 317): The guidance document addresses practical aspects of carrying out valid tests with manufactured nanomaterials, as well as modifications or additions to OECD Test Guideline procedures intended to improve incrementally the accuracy, intra-laboratory...

On July 23, 2020, the European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) published a Nanopinion entitled “Material manufacturing from nano-scaled particles:  moving forward using plants” by Dr. Blaise Tardy, Research Fellow, Bio-Based Colloids and Materials Research Group — Aalto University in Finland.  Dr. Tardy notes that bio-based nanomaterials such as nanocellulose “have shown great promise in forming high performance materials, with the potential to replace...

The July 2020 issue of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Environmental Factor includes an item on a new database that facilitates nanomaterial research.  According to the article, NIEHS grantees constructed PubVINAS, “a large database of structure, chemical property, and activity information on 705 nanomaterials, covering 11 material types.”  The article states that the extensive data on each material “allows scientists...

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has begun a public consultation on a draft document entitled “EFSA Guidance on Technical Requirements for Regulated Food and Feed Product Applications to Establish the Presence of Small Particles Including Nanoparticles.”  The draft Guidance sets out information requirements for applications in the regulated food and feed product areas and establishes criteria for assessing the presence of a fraction of small particles.  EFSA...

On August 19 and 20, 2020, the American National Standards Institute Nanotechnology Standards Panel (ANSI-NSP) will hold a virtual workshop on advanced materials.  ANSI states that advanced materials are of growing interest as there is increasing recognition that size alone does not define the unique properties of a material.  More and more, governments and organizations that originally focused on nanomaterials are now also focusing on advanced materials and emerging...

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has published two nanotechnology standards: ISO 21363:2020, “Nanotechnologies — Measurements of particle size and shape distributions by transmission electron microscopy”: The standard specifies how to capture, measure, and analyze transmission electron microscopy images to obtain particle size and shape distributions in the nanoscale.  According to ISO, the standard is broadly applicable to nano-objects, as well as to particles...

The Nanodatabase has posted a June 1, 2020, press release announcing that it has added product number 4,000 in its database.  According to the press release, silver is still the nanomaterial most often reported, with titanium and titanium dioxide the second and third most common.  The press release notes that for almost 3,000 products, the type of nanomaterial is unknown, however.  The database includes categories for health and fitness (2,310 products, a little more...

In July 2020, the German Environment Agency (UBA) published a report entitled Advanced materials:  Overview of the field and screening criteria for relevance assessment.  The report describes activities within the project “Advanced materials — Thematic conferences:  Assessment of needs to act on chemical safety” to provide discussion input on approaches to describe, cluster, and prioritize advanced materials.  The aim of the report is to identify relevant advanced...

On July 1, 2020, the European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) published a Nanopinion entitled “Polymer based nanocomposites – enabling innovation, resource efficiency and helping to fight climate change” by Dr. Sabine Lindner, Consumer and Environmental Affairs, PlasticsEurope Deutschland e.V.  Dr. Lindner notes how the addition of nanoscale particles to plastic matrices can improve the properties of products such as plastic packaging for food.  According to Dr....

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on July 2, 2020, that it registered NSPW Nanosilver as a new active ingredient that helps suppress odor-causing bacteria, and algae, fungus, mold, and mildew that can cause deterioration or staining in textiles.  EPA notes that NSPW Nanosilver is registered only for use in specified textiles, including fabrics, sportswear, footwear, linens, and awnings.  NSPW Nanosilver is the active ingredient in the pesticide product...

On June 26, 2020, the European Commission (EC) published a regulation in the Official Journal of the European Union that amends Annex II of the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation.  Annex II describes the requirements for compiling safety data sheets (SDS).  The EC notes that specific requirements for nanoforms of substances took effect on January 1, 2020, and that information related to those requirements is to be...

On June 25, 2020, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published a Nanotechnology Research Center (NTRC) Program Performance One-Pager (PPOP).  NTRC conducts research to understand the potential effects on human health of exposure to engineered nanomaterials (ENM) and develops methods to control or eliminate exposures.  According to the PPOP, NTRC’s accomplishments include conducting a survey to gather information about companies’ safety and...

On June 30, 2020, from 9:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m. (EDT), the European Union (EU) NanoSafety Cluster will hold a webinar on “Immune response from occupational exposure to CNTs and nanofibres.”  The following speakers will discuss work at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) on the association of occupational exposure with ex vivo functional immune response in workers handling carbon nanotubes and...

On June 9, 2020, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (National Academies) held a briefing webinar featuring its report, A Quadrennial Review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative.  During the webinar, members of the ad hoc National Academies committee discussed how U.S. nanotechnology programs compare to those in other nations, whether coordination under the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) should continue, and how to improve the NNI’s...

On June 9, 2020, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (National Academies) held a briefing webinar featuring its report, A Quadrennial Review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative.  During the webinar, members of the ad hoc National Academies committee discussed how U.S. nanotechnology programs compare to those in other nations, whether coordination under the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) should continue, and how to improve the NNI’s...

The European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) posted a Nanopinion on June 12, 2020, entitled “Pigments:  The oldest nanomaterials in human history facing modern day challenges.”  Dr. Heike Liewald, Managing Director, Eurocolour e.V., and Giuliana Beck, Advisor, German association of producers of pigments and fillers, describe how the introduction of nano-specific requirements in statutes has significantly increased the regulatory burden.  The authors state that...

On June 9, 2020, the French National Agency for Food, Environmental, and Occupational Health Safety (ANSES) issued a press release, in French, proposing an inventory of manufactured nanomaterials in food.  According to ANSES, manufactured nanomaterials are used in food: As additives to improve the appearance and palatability of the product; As food contact materials to improve food packaging; and As nutrient-oriented ingredients that may be present at the nanoscale. ANSES used data...