Category: Metals and Mining

April 30, 2010

PPDC Discusses Nanotechnology and Pesticides

At yesterday's U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee (PPDC) meeting, William Jordan, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), presented slides regarding nanotechnology and pesticides. Jordan briefly described how OPP is defining nanoscale materials and how the technology is being applied to the field of pesticides. His presentation described OPP's recent consultation with EPA's Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) concerning nanosilver and...
March 9, 2010

ECHA Announces New Public Consultation on Eight Potential Substances of Very High Concern

Today the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) proposed to identify eight chemicals as substances of very high concern (SVHC) and possible candidates for authorization under the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation. The detailed proposals are available on the ECHA website online. Comments are due April 22, 2010. Potential Additions to the SVHC Listing Denmark, France, and Germany proposed identifying eight substances as SVHCs. ECHA...
March 4, 2010

House Subcommittee Holds Hearing on TSCA and PBTs

On March 4, 2010, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection held a hearing entitled "TSCA and Persistent, Bioaccumulative, and Toxic Chemicals: Examining Domestic and International Actions." The Subcommittee held the hearing to examine U.S. and international efforts to protect public health and the environment from persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) chemicals, how the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) is currently being used...
February 8, 2010

EPA SAP Releases Report on Nanosilver and Other Nanometal Pesticide Products

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) has released the minutes of its November 3-5, 2009, meeting regarding evaluation of the hazard and exposure associated with nanosilver and other nanometal pesticide products. Before summarizing the SAP's primary conclusions and recommendations, we note a few general observations. First, the SAP final recommendations address nanosilver almost entirely, and little or no mention is made of "nanometal pesticide products."...
November 5, 2009

Summary of Ninth Antimicrobial Workshop

On October 27-28, 2009, the Ninth Antimicrobial Workshop was held in Arlington, Virginia. The American Chemistry Council (ACC) Biocides Panel, the Consumer Specialty Products Association (CSPA), and ISSA sponsored the Workshop, which was conducted in coordination with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Antimicrobials Division. The Workshop included presentations on the following topics: Eco-Claims for Disinfectants and Sanitizers; Current Activities/Future Directions for the EPA...
October 23, 2009

FDA Research Involving Nanoscale Materials

This memorandum outlines research being sponsored, conducted, or planned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding nanoscale materials. FDA has indicated repeatedly that it needs additional information on the characterization of such materials to make informal decisions regarding the safety of regulated products that incorporate nanotechnology.1 While those decisions are for the most part in the future, there is at least one use of nanotechnology in drug and cosmetic products...
October 20, 2009

EPA Posts Prepublication EDSP Federal Register Notices

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has posted two prepublication Federal Register notices concerning its Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP).  In the first notice, EPA announces the EDSP Tier 1 battery of assays and availability of test guidelines for conducting the assays included in the battery.  In the second notice, EPA announces the issuance of the initial EDSP screening orders and the schedule of issuance.  EPA expects both notices to be...
September 17, 2009

EPA Announces SAP Meeting Concerning Nanosilver

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced in a September 16, 2009, Federal Register notice that the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP) will meet November 3-6, 2009, “to consider and review a set of scientific issues related to the assessment of hazard and exposure associated with nanosilver and other nanometal pesticide products.” Nominations of candidates to serve as ad hoc SAP members for this meeting are...