Nano and Other Emerging Chemical Technologies Blog

The Federal Public Service (FPS) Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment, the FPS Employment, Labor and Social Dialogue, and the FPS Economy, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME), Self-Employed and Energy will hold a workshop on “Nano in Belgium” on October 22, 2015.  The workshop will focus on nano research, and the agencies encourage representatives from Belgian research institutes, universities, and industries to participate by either posters or oral presentation.  The main goal...

The European Commission (EC) invites scientists to apply for membership in its non-food scientific committees, the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) and Scientific Committee on Health, Environmental and Emerging Risks (SCHEER).  SCCS and SCHEER provide the EC with “high quality and independent risk assessment and scientific advice in the areas of public health, consumer safety and environmental risks.”  SCCS provides opinions on questions concerning health and safety risks...

This week, Belgium’s Federal Public Service for Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment created an online portal for companies to register nanomaterials they put on the market.  Nanosubstances must be registered before January 1, 2016.  Mixtures containing such substances must be registered before January 1, 2017.  Belgium has posted several documents to help companies determine whether they must register: Who has to register?  The answer is given in a...

On August 19, 2015, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced appeals of its March 11, 2015, decision on substance evaluation for silicon dioxide.  Case A-015-2015 was filed by Evonik Degussa GmbH and 34 others, while Case A-014-2015 was filed by Grace GmbH & Co. KG and Advanced Refining Technologies GmbH.  The appellants in Case A-015-2015 challenge ECHA’s decision to include silicon dioxide on the Community Rolling Action Plan (CoRAP) “due to...

The United Kingdom’s Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL) of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prepared a report entitled Summary of work undertaken to assess workplace exposure and control measures during the manufacture and handling of engineered nanomaterials.  The report notes that HSE and HSL attempted to identify and engage with companies that manufactured or used nanomaterials, but only four volunteered to take part in this project.  The report cautions that the...

On August 7, 2019, EPA took long awaited action concerning the inclusion of Prop 65 warning statements for glyphosate on EPA registered pesticide labels, which will likely impact the broader ongoing debate over EPA approval of Prop 65 warnings on pesticide labels.  EPA’s August 7, 2019, letter to glyphosate registrants states that EPA “will no longer approve labeling that includes the Proposition 65 warning statement for glyphosate-containing products.”  EPA stated...

On August 4, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of its Final 2014 Effluent Guidelines Program Plan.  The Final Program Plan includes the following findings from EPA’s review of engineered nanomaterials in industrial wastewater: Some manufacturing and processing methods likely generate wastewater, but the quantity generated and waste management practices are not documented; Toxicity hazards from engineered nanomaterials have been...

On August 4, 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the availability of a final guidance document entitled “Guidance for Industry:  Use of Nanomaterials in Food for Animals.”  The Guidance is intended to assist industry and other stakeholders in identifying potential issues related to safety or regulatory status of food for animals containing nanomaterials or otherwise involving the application of nanotechnology.  FDA states that the Guidance is...

On July 27, 2015, two petitions for review of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) second conditional registration of a nanosilver pesticide product were filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) filed a petition (Case Number 15-72308), as well as the Center for Food Safety (CFS) and International Center for Technology Assessment (ICTA) (Case Number 15-72312). Both suits ask the court to set aside EPA’s final order...

On July 16, 2015, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced the following appeals in which the keywords include nanoforms: J.M. Huber Finland Oy, Case A-011-2015; RHODIA OPERATIONS SAS, Case A-010-2015; IQESIL SA, Case A-009-2015; and Evonik Degussa GmbH, Case A-008-2015. The cases all concern silicic acid, aluminum sodium salt. The contested decisions were adopted December 17, 2014, following a compliance check under the dossier evaluation procedure of the submitted registration. In each...