Nano and Other Emerging Chemical Technologies Blog

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) announced on October 27, 2015, EWG VERIFIED™, a verification program intended “to give consumers peace of mind at point of sale as they try to avoid toxic and potentially harmful chemicals and contaminants commonly found in consumer goods.”  Under the program, products must follow the European Union’s (EU) labeling guidelines for nanomaterials used in cosmetics.  EWG VERIFIED™ items must be free of substances on EWG’s...

ProSafe has launched an online Delphi Forum on whether risk management is on pace with innovation for nanomaterial uses.   ProSafe will use expert discussion between those working with manufacture and health and safety of specific nanomaterial uses to develop a white paper proposing a path forward for risk management policies for nanomaterial uses.  To join the Forum, follow the instructions below: Go to https://scipinion.com/; In the access code box for “ProSafe Delphi...

According to an item in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Fall 2015 Regulatory Agenda, EPA intends to promulgate a final Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Section 8(a) rule in October 2016 concerning reporting and recordkeeping requirements for certain chemical substances when they are manufactured or processed at the nanoscale.  EPA’s April 6, 2015, proposed rule includes one-time reporting for existing nanoscale materials and one-time reporting for new discrete...

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) recently posted four reflection papers that discuss the possible release of nanomaterials from waste treatment operations and a literature review on four specific waste treatment processes of recycling, incineration, landfilling, and wastewater treatment.  The papers aim to point out the knowledge gaps and areas where further research is needed. Incineration of Waste Containing Nanomaterials: The paper was developed to attempt...

The European Commission (EC) Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) has posted for comment its opinion on hydroxyapatite (nano).  According to the opinion, the EC received 35 notifications of cosmetic products containing hydroxyapatite in nano form.  The opinion states that, according to the applicants, the ingredient is used in nano uncoated form both in leave-on and rinse-off oral cosmetics products, including toothpastes, tooth whiteners, and mouth washes with a maximum reported...

On November 11, 2015, the Council of the European Union (EU) announced that its Permanent Representatives Committee approved the proposed novel food regulation. On November 16, 2015, the European Parliament (EP) and the Council of the EU reached an agreement on the proposal. The European Commission (EC) issued a November 16, 2015, press release and a November 16, 2015, Questions and Answers (Q&A) document concerning the final regulation. The Q&A includes the...

On November 10, 2015, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency posted the following publications concerning nanomaterials: Environmental assessment of nanomaterial use in Denmark: This is the concluding report of the project “Nanomaterials — occurrence and effects in the Danish environment” (NanoDEN). The projects in NanoDEN aimed to investigate and generate new environmentally relevant knowledge concerning nanomaterials on the Danish market and to assess the possible associated risks to...

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has posted two Tour de Table documents.  The documents, dated October 26, 2015, cover activities from January to July 2014 and before September 2015: Current Developments in Delegations on the Safety of Manufactured Nanomaterials — Tour de Table: The document compiles information, provided by delegations, including the European Commission (EC), together with non-member economies, on current developments on the...

The Joint Research Center (JRC) published on October 19, 2015, a report entitled Towards a review of the EC Recommendation for a definition of the term “nanomaterial”:  Part 3:  Scientific-technical evaluation of options to clarify the definition and to facilitate its implementation.  The report provides JRC’s scientific-technical evaluation of options to clarify the European Commission’s (EC) 2011 Recommendation on a definition of nanomaterial.  In 2013, JRC started to develop a...

On October 29, 2015, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) published a blog item concerning the Nanotechnology Startup Challenge for Cancer (NSC2), “an open-innovation competition designed by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the non-profit Center for Advancing Innovation (CAI) to bring promising cancer nanotechnology inventions to market.”  According to OSTP, the competition “creatively combines some of the most powerful tools in the...