On September 15, 2017, the European Commission (EC) began a public consultation on the revision of the 2011 EC Recommendation on the definition of nanomaterial. The EC intended the definition to achieve consistent application of the term nanomaterial across all legislation. The definition includes descriptors that the EC intended to review by December 2014 to ensure that the definition corresponds to the needs. In particular, the review must examine issues where there...
September 15, 2017
ISO Publishes Vocabulary Standard for Graphene and Related 2D Materials
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has published standard ISO/TS 80004-13:2017, “Nanotechnologies — Vocabulary — Part 13: Graphene and related two-dimensional (2D) materials.” According to ISO, over the last decade, interest has arisen in graphene due to its “many exceptional properties.” More recently, other materials with a similar structure have also shown promising properties, including monolayer and few-layer versions of hexagonal boron nitride,...
September 14, 2017
TURI Publishes Nanomaterials Fact Sheet
In August 2017, the Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI), a research, education, and policy center established by the Massachusetts Toxics Use Reduction Act of 1989, published a nanomaterials fact sheet. The fact sheet is part of a series of chemical and material fact sheets developed by TURI that are intended to help Massachusetts companies, community organizations, and residents understand the use of hazardous substances and their effects on human health and the environment. ...
September 13, 2017
RIVM Announces Model to Calculate Concentrations of Nanoparticles in the Environment
The Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) announced on September 6, 2017, that an RIVM researcher, Joris Meesters, modified SimpleBox, a distribution model for chemicals, to create SimpleBox4nano, a model to calculate concentrations of nanoparticles in water, soil, and air. SimpleBox4nano includes new processes that specifically apply to nanoparticles, such as the clustering of particles. Meesters tested the model using three metal oxide...
September 12, 2017
Study Examines How to Reduce Nanoparticle Emissions during 3D Printing
On August 30, 2017, Environmental Science & Technology, an American Chemical Society (ACS) publication, published a study entitled “Characterization and Control of Nanoparticle Emission during 3D Printing.” According to the abstract, the study aimed to evaluate particle emission characteristics and to evaluate several control methods used to reduce particle emissions during three-dimensional (3D) printing. Experiments for particle characterization measured particle number...
September 11, 2017
EC4SafeNano Survey on Demand and Supply of Services in Nanosafety Ends September 15
Responses to the European Center for Risk Management and Safe Innovation in Nanomaterials and Nanotechnologies (EC4SafeNano) survey on demand and supply of services in nanosafety are due September 15, 2017. EC4SafeNano notes that multiple responses from different departments and groups within a single organization are possible. As reported in our April 24, 2017, blog item, EC4SafeNano wishes to develop a catalog of services matching the anticipated needs and service requirements...
On September 6, 2017, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published a Program Performance One-Pager entitled NIOSH Engineering Controls Program. The Program’s activities include providing engineering control recommendations to protect workers from emerging hazards in nanotechnology and advanced materials used in additive manufacturing/three-dimensional (3D) printing. The Program is currently working to: Complete laboratory evaluations of ultrafine...
September 7, 2017
EC Environment DG Publishes Report on Assessing the Environmental Safety of Manufactured Nanomaterials
The European Commission (EC) Environment Directorate General (DG) published an August 2017 report entitled Assessing the environmental safety of manufactured nanomaterials. The report “shows that, despite early fears, nano-sized particles are not inherently more toxic than larger particles; however, differences between them may be notable and new insights are still being provided by research.” The report’s aim is “to present the most promising strategies and most significant...
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has published standard ISO/TS 20477:2017, “Nanotechnologies — Standard terms and their definition for cellulose nanomaterial.” The standard states that in industrial productions, cellulose nanomaterials can be manufactured by conversion of wood pulp through chemical, biological, or mechanical processes. Due to their renewable nature and unique properties, cellulose nanomaterials have developed into platform materials that have...
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 steps of the development pathway, such as scale up and...