Nano and Other Emerging Chemical Technologies Blog

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...

According to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) website, the draft Guidance on information requirements and Chemical Safety Assessment:  Appendix R7-1 Recommendations for nanomaterials applicable to Chapter R7a Endpoint specific guidance and Appendix R7-2 Recommendations for nanomaterials applicable to Chapter R7c Endpoint specific guidance has been sent to the Competent Authorities for Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) and...

On February 27, 2017, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) announced the availability of a draft chapter to be published in the NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods entitled “Analysis of Carbon Nanotubes and Nanofibers on Mixed Cellulose Ester Filters by Transmission Electron Microscopy” for public comment.  The draft chapter provides standardized approaches for the analysis of carbon nanoparticles.  NIOSH states that these standardized...

The TechConnect World Innovation Conference and Expo, which will be held May 14-17, 2017, in Washington, D.C., will include a panel discussion on May 16, 2017, on “Safety and Innovation as Partners for Success in Advanced Manufacturing” as part of the Advanced Manufacturing Symposium.  The session description states that as emerging and novel technologies, materials, and information are integrated into increasingly automated and networked manufacturing processes, the elements...

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published a Federal Register notice on February 10, 2017, inviting comment on a proposed information collection plan, “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.  The...

ClientEarth published a January 11, 2017, blog item entitled “Three-year wait for nanomaterial risk data promised ‘in the next weeks.’”  Under the Cosmetics Directive, the European Commission (EC) was to publish by January 11, 2014, an inventory of nanomaterials used in cosmetic products on the European Union market.  The EC has postponed publication of the inventory several times, due to the allegedly poor quality of the information it received from industry.  ClientEarth...

The Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) published a news item on January 16, 2017, entitled “Nanoparticles — to handle with care.”  IRSST states that although research is still in development, it appears that nanoparticles can enter the respiratory tract or penetrate through the skin and make their way to the bloodstream, which may carry the nanoparticles to various organs.  While studies have been...

On February 1, 2017, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) posted a blog item entitled “The Art and Science of OELs for Nanomaterials.”  According to the item, NIOSH searched for proposals for occupational exposure limits (OEL) for new nanomaterials as part of the development of a World Health Organization (WHO) guideline for working safely with nanomaterials.  The blog item cites the article “Occupational exposure limits for manufactured...