ECHA Preparing Nano Inventory from REACH and CLP Submissions

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is compiling an inventory of nanomaterials included in the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) registration dossiers and Classification, Labeling, and Packaging (CLP) notifications for the European Commission (EC), and intends to deliver the inventory by the end of June 2011. The EC requested the inventory in response to the 2009 European Parliament communication on nanomaterials. An ECHA spokesperson stated that detailed results from the inventory would be available towards the end of 2011, and the inventory may be disseminated at a later date, but this has not yet been discussed. According to the spokesperson, ECHA has found three registration dossiers and 14 CLP notifications in which “nanomaterial” was selected as the form of the substance. The spokesperson stated that ECHA will be able to identify 50-60 REACH registration dossiers that include information on nanomaterials that will be sent to the Joint Research Centre for assessment under a separate project to address if and how information on nanomaterials is included in REACH registration dossiers.