Industry Consortium for Environmental Measurement of Nanomaterials Publishes Practical Nano Measurement Guide

Washington, D.C. (March 20, 2013): The Industry Consortium for Environmental Measurement of Nanomaterials (ICEMN) announced today the release of a series of articles to serve as a practical guide for state and federal regulatory agencies tasked with measuring engineered nanomaterials in the environment. The articles, published in the March 2013 special issue of Environmental Engineering Sciences, were prepared by academic and industrial scientists from ICEMN and focus on the techniques and issues around nanomaterial measurement in water, air, and soil. The series of articles collates sources of primary literature and summarizes secondary literature on experimental evidence of release of nanomaterials from nano-enabled products and the capture of nanomaterials in wastewater treatment, and reviews the methodological and measurement strategy issues involved in quantifying engineered nanomaterials in the environment.

“I appreciate the efforts of the authors and ICEMN members who contributed time and knowledge to this project,” noted ICEMN Chairman Dr. Raymond David. “It is our hope that this collection of articles will lead regulatory scientists and others who are not engaged in direct research to a deeper understanding of nanomaterial measurement techniques and strategies.”

Kathleen M. Roberts of B&C Consortia Management, L.L.C. (BCCM) stated: “BCCM is proud to support ICEMN’s goal of enhancing the science and facilitating an exchange of information in the area of environmental nanomaterial measurement. The articles presented in this special issue are a valuable contribution to the nanotech community.”

Background on ICEMN

ICEMN is a consortium of stakeholders involved with the production, assessment, and use of nanomaterials working collectively and cooperatively to provide information that would address environmental measurement of nanoscale materials and to enhance the state of the science in this regard. The Consortium includes representatives from industry, academia, and government groups, and is managed by BCCM. In June 2011, ICEMN convened a workshop at the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal-EPA) to share information on existing and emerging measurement strategies and to dialogue on expectations for the future. This workshop, and the expressed desire by the California regulatory staff for more information on this critical issue, was the catalyst for the ICEMN publication.

ICEMN’s articles are available in the special issue of Environmental Engineering Sciences, “Environmental Nanomaterials Review,” which can be accessed online. Article titles include:

• “Measuring Engineered Nanomaterials in the Environment: A Consortium View of How to Address the Problem”
   
• “The Current World of Nanomaterial Characterization: Discussion of Analytical Instruments for Nanomaterial Characterization”
   
• “Advanced Analytical Techniques for the Measurement of Nanomaterials in Food and Agricultural Samples: A Review”
   
• “Measurement Strategies of Airborne Nanomaterials”
   
• “Electrokinetic Remediation of Saline Soil Using Pulse Power”
   
• “Groundwater as a Source of Hydrogen Sulfide in Indoor Air in Central and South Florida”
   
• “Nanomaterial Removal and Transformation During Biological Wastewater Treatment”

For further information on ICEMN, contact Kathleen M. Roberts.