Nano and Other Emerging Chemical Technologies Blog

On May 31, 2016, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) began a public consultation on a harmonized classification and labeling (CLH) proposal submitted by France for titanium dioxide.  The proposed entry in Annex VI of the Classification, Labeling, and Packaging (CLP) Regulation is “Carc. 1B, H350i.”  The CLH report states:  “Based on available evidence and information in the registration dossier (e.g. mechanism of carcinogenicity, characterization of the particles), the proposed...

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is sponsoring a July 7-8, 2015, workshop, co-sponsored by the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), entitled “Quantifying Exposure to Engineered Nanomaterials from Manufactured Products — Addressing Environmental, Health, and Safety Implications.” This is a technical workshop to determine the state of the science and the tools and methods available to characterize and quantify exposure to engineered nanomaterials from consumer products....

Pictured left to right: TJ Augustine, Technology-to-Market Advisor, ARPA-E; Matthew Putman, Founder and CEO, Nanotronics Imaging; Chandra Brown, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing, International Trade Administration; Doug Jamieson, Chairman and CEO, Harris & Harris Group; Matthew Portnoy, Director, Division of Special Programs, Office of Extramural Research, NIH; Lynn L. Bergeson, Owner and Managing Partner, Bergeson & Campbell, P.C.; John Williams, Director of Innovation,...

On May 19, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it issued a conditional registration for a nanosilver-containing antimicrobial pesticide product named “NSPW-L30SS,” or “Nanosilva.”  This is the second nanosilver registration issued by EPA and reflects the Agency’s growing expertise in addressing, processing, and approving nanopesticide registration applications.  According to EPA, the product will be used as a non-food-contact preservative to protect...

Membership in the Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization (SNO) offers a number of benefits to members of the nano community. As a member of the Governing Board, I strongly recommend that you consider joining and become part of the SNO family. SNO’s purpose is to provide a professional society forum to advance knowledge in all aspects of sustainable nanotechnology, including both applications and implications. SNO is comprised of individuals and institutions that are engaged in:...

The National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO) will hold its next webinar focusing on the experiences, successes, and challenges for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SME) working in nanotechnology and on issues of interest to the business community on May 20, 2015, from 2:00-3:00 p.m. (EDT).  The webinar will include the following speakers: Ajay P. Malshe, Founder, Executive Vice President, and Chief Technical Officer of NanoMech. NanoMech has developed patented...

On October 28, 2015, the European Parliament (EP) approved proposed rules that would subject novel foods to a safety evaluation and authorization at the European Union (EU) level.  According to the EP’s October 28, 2015, press release, novel foods include food consisting of “engineered nanomaterials,” and would be defined as “any intentionally produced material that has one or more dimensions of the order of 100 nm or less.”  If there is a possibility a new food could affect...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a notice in the May 8, 2015, Federal Register announcing a public meeting on June 11, 2015, to discuss EPA’s April 6, 2015, proposed rule concerning reporting and recordkeeping requirements for certain chemical substances when they are manufactured or processed at the nanoscale. This is a very important opportunity for stakeholders to offer comments on a rulemaking that has important implications for the nano community....

The Wilson Center’s Synthetic Biology Project announced on April 29, 2015, a first-of-its-kind inventory to track products and applications using the emerging technology of synthetic biology.  The inventory is intended to provide the public the best available look at the many manufacturer-identified synbio-based products and the companies that produce them.  The Synthetic Biology Project notes that because synthetic biology is a rapidly changing technology platform, the data represented in...

On April 27, 2015, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) announced publication of “Carbon Nanotube and Nanofiber Exposure Assessments: An Analysis of 14 Site Visits” in Annals of Occupational Hygiene.  The paper is the second report from NIOSH’s Industrywide Study.  According to NIOSH, the findings illustrate which tasks have the highest exposures, trends in exposure, nature and character of materials involved, effectiveness of controls when used,...