Nano and Other Emerging Chemical Technologies Blog

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) prepared a March 14, 2017, report entitled Science and Technology Issues in the 115th Congress.  The report outlines science and technology policy issues that may come before the 115th Congress.  The report notes that, given the rapid pace of science and technology advancement and its importance in many diverse public policy issues, issues not discussed in this report may come before Congress.  The selected issues are grouped into nine...

On March 15, 2017, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published a Federal Register notice announcing the availability of a draft Current Intelligence Bulletin (CIB) entitled The NIOSH Occupational Exposure Banding Process: Guidance for the Evaluation of Chemical Hazards for public comment.  Under occupational exposure banding, chemicals are assigned to specific categories or bands based on the chemical’s potency and the negative health...

On March 14, 2017, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) extended the comment period on the proposed information collection entitled “Survey of Engineered Nanomaterial Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Practices.”  The goal of the project is to assess the relevance and impact of NIOSH’s contribution to guidelines and risk mitigation practices for safe handling of engineered nanomaterials in the workplace.  NIOSH invites comment on: According to...

On March 10, 2017, the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) began a public consultation on its opinion on titanium dioxide (nanoform) as an ultraviolet (UV)-filter in sprays.  In July 2015, the European Commission (EC) received new data from industry to support the safe use of nano titanium dioxide when used as a UV-filter in sunscreens and personal care spray products at a concentration up to 5.5 percent.  The EC asked SCCS whether, in light of...

NanoMONITOR’s first stakeholders’ day, April 4, 2017, will include a workshop on “Development of a real-time information and monitoring system to support the risk assessment of nanomaterials under REACH.”  The overall aim of the NanoMONITOR project is to develop a prototype system to generate robust, accessible, comparable, and interoperable environmental and indoor air monitoring data to support the implementation of the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction...

On March 9, 2017, the NanoSafety Cluster published its 2017 Research Regulatory Roadmap.  The purpose of the Roadmap is to identify both ongoing and complete activities associated with the development of regulations promoting the safety of nanomaterials.  The Roadmap identifies research areas or priorities that need to be addressed further to facilitate this process.  According to the Roadmap, there remain significant gaps in knowledge and procedures that need to be addressed...

On March 2, 2017, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced that its Board of Appeal issued its decision in Case A-011-2014, which concerns a Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) dossier evaluation for titanium dioxide.  In its evaluation, ECHA considered only the substance identity information required and not the information requirements for human health and environmental effects.  The Contested Decision required...

In January 2017, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)/Technical Specification (TS) 80004-9:2017, “Nanotechnologies — Vocabulary — Part 9:  Nano-enabled electrotechnical products and systems.”  IEC/TS 80004-9:2017 specifies terms and definitions for electrotechnical products and systems reliant on nanomaterials for their essential functionalities.  ISO states that it is intended to facilitate...

On February 23, 2017, the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) issued a press release announcing a new report, commissioned by CIEL, the European Environmental Citizens’ Organization for Standardization (ECOS), and the Oeko-Institute, that “shows that most of the information made available by the Sponsorship Testing Programme of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is of little to no value for the regulatory risk assessment of...

According to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) website, several Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) guidance documents concerning nanomaterials have moved to the next step in the consultation process.  The draft recommendations for nanomaterials applicable to the guidance on quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR) and grouping of chemicals was sent to the Competent Authorities for REACH and Classification, Labeling, and...