On July 29, 2022, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published a Technical Report: Occupational Exposure Sampling for Engineered Nanomaterials. Since 2010, NIOSH has developed guidance for workplace sampling for three engineered nanomaterials: carbon nanotubes (CNT) and nanofiber (CNF), silver, and titanium dioxide, each of which has an
Legal/Regulatory Issues
NIOSH Publishes Program Performance One-Pager for Nanotechnology Research Center
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published a program performance one-pager on July 18, 2022, for the Nanotechnology Research Center (NTRC). NTRC conducts research to understand the potential effects on human health of exposure to engineered nanomaterials and develops methods to control or eliminate exposures. The one-pager lists the following accomplishments:
- Developed
…
EC Requests Scientific Opinion on Titanium Dioxide in Cosmetic Products
The Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) announced on June 22, 2022, that the European Commission (EC) asked that it reassess the safety of titanium dioxide with a focus on genotoxicity and exposure via the inhalation and oral route (lip care, lipstick, toothpaste, loose powder, hair spray) “since the currently available scientific evidence supports an…
Austrian Academy of Sciences Publishes NanoTrust Dossier on Advanced Materials
The Institute of Technology Assessment of the Austrian Academy of Sciences has published a NanoTrust Dossier entitled “Advanced Materials.” According to the dossier, advanced materials are “materials or material combinations with improved, novel or unique functionalities or properties” and represent a broad class of materials that include semiconductors, biomaterials, and nanomaterials. The dossier…
Presentations Available from 4th Joint Symposium on Nanotechnology
The 4th Joint Symposium on Nanotechnology, organized by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) and the Fraunhofer Network Nanotechnology (FNT), was held May 30-31, 2022. The conference included presentations on topics such as the use of nanotechnology in textiles and packaging, its application in agriculture, the introduction of nanomaterials into the body, and…
Canada Publishes Draft Framework for the Risk Assessment of Manufactured Nanomaterials under CEPA
On June 17, 2022, Canada published its draft Framework for the Risk Assessment of Manufactured Nanomaterials under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA) for a 60-day public comment period. The plain language summary states that the framework describes how scientists at Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and Health Canada (HC) conduct risk assessments…
EC Revises Definition of Nanomaterials
On June 10, 2022, the European Commission (EC) announced that it is clarifying the definition of nanomaterials in a new Recommendation that supports a coherent European Union (EU) regulatory framework for nanomaterials, helping to align legislation across all sectors. The EC states that the new definition should be used in EU and national legislation, policy,…
EPA Resolves Case Involving Export of Carbon Nanomaterial in Violation of TSCA Section 12(b) and Notice of Export Requirements
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) filed a complaint with the Environmental Appeals Board on March 15, 2022, pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). According to the complaint, as the result of an EPA inspection of the Vorbeck Materials facility on June 20, 2019, and its follow-up actions, EPA alleges…
Improvements to ECHA’s Chemicals Database Include Nanomaterial Form Characterization Information
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has made recent improvements to its chemicals database. For nanomaterials on the European Union (EU) market, the details page of the database now includes information on the nanomaterial form characterization. According to ECHA, the results page also has an improved display, allowing better access to the data and improved…
EPA Research Team Develops Framework to Determine What Products to Classify and Evaluate as Nanopesticides
According to a May 9, 2022, news item published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Advancing EPA’s Understanding of the Next Generation of Pesticides,” over the past decade, EPA “has received an increasing number of pesticide product applications that potentially contain nanomaterials.” The article notes that EPA’s current pesticide review method was…