Nano and Other Emerging Chemical Technologies Law Blog: Lawyer & Attorney : Bergeson & Campbell Law Firm : Nanotech and Chemical Legal Developments

The American Bar Association’s (ABA) Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources (SEER) held its latest Nanotechnology Teleconference on June 21, 2007. Entitled “Nanotechnology and Environmental Governance,” the teleconference explored the need for voluntary environmental governance mechanisms to augment the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s traditional regulatory programs to manage the issues associated with nanotechnology. The teleconference featured three speakers: Allyson Hartzell, Managing Scientist, Exponent Failure Analyst Associates; Kevin J. Fay, Director, Product & Supply Chain Stewardship, PPG Industries, Inc.; and Linda K. Breggin, Senior Attorney, Environmental Law Institute.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

On June 21, 2007, Environmental Defense (ED) and DuPont, who commenced a partnership on nanotechnology in September 2005, released the final Nano Risk Framework, which establishes “a systematic and disciplined process for identifying, managing, and reducing potential environmental, health, and safety risks of engineered nanomaterials across all stages of a product’s ‘lifecycle.’” The Framework is aimed primarily at organizations, both private and public, that are actively working with nanomaterials and developing associated products and applications. ED and DuPont believe that “adoption of the Frameworkcan promote responsible development of nanotechnology products, facilitate public acceptance, and support the formulation of a practical model for reasonable government policy on nanotechnology safety.”

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

At its June 22, 2007, meeting, the National Toxicology Program’s (NTP) Board of Scientific Counselors (BSC) reviewed nominations of several substances for testing, including nanoscale silver. The Food and Drug Administration nominated nanoscale silver for toxicological studies “based on (a) increasing widespread use in drug, food and cosmetic products, and (b) the general lack of data on the toxicology and pharmacokinetics of these materials.” Comments on the testing nomination were submitted by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM); the Nano Testing Consortium; and the Silver Institute.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

The International Council on Nanotechnology (ICON) held a workshop entitled “Towards Predicting Nano-Bio Interactions” on June 5-7, 2007. The plenary presentations and meeting information are now online.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

EHP-in-Press published an article entitled “Persistent Tissue Kinetics and Redistribution of Nanoparticles, Quantum Dot 705, in Mice: ICP-MS Quantitative Assessment.” The purpose of the study was to assess the tissue disposition and pharmacokinetics of quantum dots (QD705) in mice. According to the article, the plasma half-life of QD705 in mice was short (18.5 hours), but analyses revealed QD705 persisted and even continued to increase in the spleen, liver, and kidney 28 days following an intravenous dose. Considerable time-dependent redistribution from body mass to liver and kidney was apparent between 1 and 28 days post-dosing. The recoveries at both time points were near 100%; all QD705s reside in the body. Neither fecal nor urinary excretion of QD705 was detected appreciably in 28 days post-dosing. Fluorescence microscopy demonstrated deposition of QD705 in the liver, spleen, and kidneys. EHP-in-Press articles have been peer reviewed and accepted for publication in Environmental Health Perspectives.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

On June 4, 2007, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a new advisory committee intended to counsel FDA on how to strengthen the communication of risks and benefits of FDA-regulated products to the public. The Risk Communication Advisory Committee will:

• Help FDA better understand the communication needs and priorities of the general public;
• Advise FDA on the development of strategic plans to communicate product risks and benefits; and
• Make recommendations to FDA on what current research suggests about crafting risk and benefit messages, as well as how to most effectively communicate specific product information to vulnerable audiences.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

On June 18, 2007, the Congressional Nanotechnology Caucus will host a briefing on Nanotechnology Applications for Renewable Energy. On July 16, 2007, the Caucus will host a briefing on Nanotechnology Applications for Energy Conservation. Each event will begin at 2 p.m. (EDT). The purpose of the Congressional Nanotechnology Caucus is to promote nanotechnology, educate policy makers about this emerging area, and facilitate communications between industrial and academic researchers and the Hill.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

The July 2007 issue of Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology includes an article entitled “Limits and Prospects of the ‘Incremental Approach’ and the European Legislation on the Management of Risks Related to Nanomaterials.” According to the authors, the European Commission (EC) has adopted an incremental approach, focusing on adopting existing laws to regulate nanotechnologies. The authors concluded that the current regulations fail to address the environmental, health, and safety risks posed by nanomaterials and recommended specific revisions to European regulatory policies and the information on which they are based.

Continue Reading...

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

The European Commission (EC) will hold its annual Green Week in Brussels, Belgium, from June 12-15, 2007.  On June 14, 2007, an afternoon session will examine the benefits of nanotechnology for the environment and on how nanotechnologies could help to solve major environmental problems, e.g., climate change, energy efficiency, resources use, remediation and pollution prevention, opportunities for developing countries, as well as the potential risks for environment and health.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

On April 24, 2007, the Kojo Nnamdi Show, a news magazine program on National Public Radio (NPR), aired a program entitled “New Approaches to Nanotechnology.” The program featured: David Rejeski, Director, Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN), Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars/Pew Charitable Trusts; Rick Weiss, Science and Medicine Reporter, The Washington Post; Jeffrey Schloss, Co-Chair, Trans-National Institutes of Health (NIH) Nano Taskforce, NIH; and Nora Savage, Environmental Engineer, Office of Research and Development (ORD), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

The July 2007 issue of Consumer Reports includes an article entitled “NANOtechnology: Untold Promise, Untold Risk.” According to Consumer Reports, while nanotechnology “promises to be the most important innovation since electricity and the internal combustion engine,” “some applications might pose substantial risks to human health and the environment.” The article states that nanomaterials are already being used in consumer products such as car wax, computer chips, and sunscreen, and that approximately $2.6 trillion worth of goods worldwide are expected to use nanotechnology by 2014, up from $50 billion in 2006. Consumers Union (CU), the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, concludes that the responsibility for protecting consumers rests mainly with government and industry.  In particular, CU believes that the government should provide more funds for risk research and regulation, and that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should assess safety information on nanoingredients in cosmetics, food additives, and other products before they are sold, and should require manufacturers to report health problems linked with those ingredients. The full article is available in the July 2007 issue of Consumer Reports.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link