Nano and Other Emerging Chemical Technologies Blog

On February 7-9, 2017, a conference focused on new tools and approaches for nanomaterial safety assessment will be held in Malaga, Spain.  The conference is jointly organized by five major Seventh Research Framework Program (FP7) projects:  NANOSOLUTIONS, GUIDEnano, Sustainable Nanotechnologies (SUN), NanoMILE, and eNanoMapper.  It will present the main results achieved in the course of the projects, fostering a discussion about their impact...

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced in its December 14, 2016, ECHA Weekly that the following drafts for updated ECHA guidance on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation have moved to the next consultation step and been sent to the Member State Committee for review: Guidance on recommendations for nanomaterials for environmental endpoints: Appendix R7-1 Recommendations for nanomaterials applicable to Chapter R7a Endpoint...

On November 15, 2016, the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) published a report, in English, entitled Nanoview — Influencing factors on the perception of nanotechnology and target group-specific risk communication strategies.  In 2007, BfR conducted a survey concerning the public perception of nanotechnology.  Given the newness of nanotechnology and that large sections of the population did not have any definite opinions or knowledge of it, BfR conducted a follow-up...

On December 7, 2016, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced the signing of a delegation agreement between ECHA and the European Commission (EC) on the European Union Observatory for Nanomaterials (EU-ON).  According to ECHA, the information sources for the EU-ON will include data generated by various pieces of EU legislation regulating the safe use of nanomaterials (e.g., the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation, biocides,...

On November 30, 2016, the White House published a blog item, “President Obama’s Top Ten Actions to Accelerate American Entrepreneurship,” and posted a fact sheet on President Obama’s entrepreneurship accomplishments.  The tenth action is “Unleashed entrepreneurship in the industries of the future, including clean energy, biotechnology, the commercial space industry, nanotechnology, drones, robotics, advanced manufacturing, and more.”  The fact sheet lists several...

Registration is now open for a December 7, 2016, National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) webinar, “Water Sustainability through Nanotechnology:  Increasing Water Availability.”  NNI states that water demand in the U.S. is projected to increase over the next several decades.  In addition to increased demand, many U.S. aquifers are being depleted at unsustainable rates, which may lead to increased challenges in locating usable water sources in the future.  During...

On November 24, 2016, the Australian Department of the Environment and Energy began a public consultation on the Draft National Standard for the Environmental Risk Management of Industrial Chemicals and a supporting Draft Explanatory Document.  According to the Department, the primary purpose of the papers is to outline the design and operation of the National Standard.  The Draft National Standard contains risk management measures applicable for each Environment Schedule under the...

On October 13, 2016, OCSiAl announced that it is the first manufacturer of single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) to complete Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) registration.  According to OCSiAl, the registration was successfully completed thanks to the collaboration between OCSiAl’s Health and Safety Department, Envigo, and Intertek, which jointly completed the work involved in demonstrating compliance with the standards and requirements of...

On November 22, 2016, the European Commission’s (EC) Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) began a public consultation on its opinion on additional coatings for titanium dioxide (nano form) as an ultraviolet (UV)-filter in dermally applied cosmetic products.  The EC asked if SCCS considered safe the use of cetyl phosphate, manganese dioxide, and triethoxycaprylylsilane as coatings for titanium dioxide (nano) used as a UV-filter in dermally-applied cosmetic products.  SCCS...

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a Federal Register notice on November 16, 2016, announcing the 2017 Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) Office of Pharmaceutical Quality (OPQ) Staff Experiential Learning Site Visit Program.  According to the notice, “[a] critical part of the commitment by CDER to make safe and effective high-quality drugs available to the American public is gaining an understanding of all aspects of drug development and...