Archives

March 9, 2023

NIA Posts Recording of Antimicrobial Treatment Webinar

The Nanotechnology Industries Association (NIA) has posted a recording of its March 6, 2023, webinar on “Nano in Action: Antimicrobial Treatment.” The webinar explored a topic where relevance has been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, but that has long been on the to-do list of the public building and transport sectors. Subjects covered included the current cleaning and sanitation protocols of public spaces; the kind of nano-based solutions available to meet this need; and how...
June 4, 2021

EUON Publishes Nanopinion on the Need for Updating Language Regarding Nanomaterials

On May 31, 2021, the European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) published a Nanopinion entitled “Updating our language: why we should not paint all nanoforms with the same brush” by Chiara Venturini, Director General of the Nanotechnology Industries Association (NIA). Venturini reviews how the EU’s language has evolved. In 2011, the European Commission (EC) adopted a definition that describes a nanomaterial as a material at the nanoscale. In 2020, the EC amended Annex II...
April 20, 2021

NIA Publishes Position Paper on Changing Regulatory Landscape and Language for the Nanoscale

The Nanotechnology Industries Association (NIA) has published a March 2021 position paper, A changing regulatory landscape and language for the nanoscale, that examines the transition from “nanomaterial” to “nanoforms” to reflect better the differences in nanomaterial properties both in relation to bulk counterparts and to nanoforms of the same substance.  In the paper, NIA describes a transition phase where the language of nanoforms is used more widely and examples of nanoform...
June 9, 2020

NIA Survey on “Advanced Materials” Terminology and Relevance to Nanomaterials Closes on June 12

The Nanotechnology Industries Association (NIA) began a survey on June 4, 2020, inviting commercial actors within the nanomaterials arena (producers, users, and professional providers) to contribute their organization’s perception and use of the term “Advanced Materials.”  According to NIA, there is increasing policy focus on the term “Advanced Materials,” with national governments and international frameworks starting to discuss potential safety and regulatory...
June 3, 2020

NanoHarmony Project Will Hold Introductory Webinar in July

The Nanotechnology Industries Association (NIA) will hold a webinar on July 7, 2020, on “Introducing the NanoHarmony project.”  Funded through Horizon 2020, NanoHarmony began on April 1, 2020.  NanoHarmony brings together 14 expert partners from ten European countries and will work alongside the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) to support the development of test guidelines and guidance documents for...
March 9, 2020

EUON Publishes Nanopinion on Use of the Term “Nanoplastics”

On March 3, 2020, the European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) published a Nanopinion entitled “‘Nanoplastics’ — it’s a name game.”  Claire Skentelbery, Director General, Nanotechnology Industries Association (NIA), reviews the difference between engineered (manufactured) nanomaterials and naturally originating (incidental) nanomaterials.  Skentelbery notes that use of the term “nanoplastics,” without describing their origins, “risks the perception...
February 13, 2020

NIA Publishes Position Paper on Terminology of “Nanoplastics”

On February 13, 2020, the Nanotechnology Industries Association (NIA) published a position paper entitled ‘Nanoplastics’:  Use of suitable terminology for representation in waste, degradation of plastics and presence in the environment.  In the paper, NIA and its members urge caution and clarity when referring to plastics as small particles or fragments.  NIA states that “nanoplastics” is a “non-specific and ambiguous term, and qualifiers should be considered for...
May 9, 2019

NIA Webinar on Nanosafety Available on YouTube

The Nanotechnology Industries Association (NIA), a “cross-sectoral, responsible voice for nanotechnology value chains and the global commercial eco-system,” hosts frequent webinars and then posts the webinars on its YouTube channel.  On May 7, 2019, NIA held a webinar on “Nano in Action:  Nanosafety.”  Participants heard about the latest research and support tools intended to advance the development of safe materials from speakers involved in human and environmental safety research...
January 11, 2019

NIA Will Hold Webinar on Commercialization of Nanomaterials

The Nanotechnology Industries Association (NIA) will hold a webinar on January 24, 2019, on “Nano in Business:  Commercialization of nanomaterials.”  This is the first webinar in NIA’s “Nano in Business” series, which is dedicated to the roadmap to commercial success for nanomaterials.  This includes not only the launch of companies, but also successfully bringing materials to market at a production volume that allows supply to match demand reliably.  The first webinar will focus...