As reported in our May 10, 2023, blog item, the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) is holding two public webinars providing an overview of the key activities of U.S. government agencies in tackling the challenge of plastic waste in the environment. According to NNI, the breakdown of bulk plastics to micro- and nanoscale particles in the environment “has further challenged efforts to understand the potential human and environmental impacts of plastics over their full life cycles,” leading to “a tremendous increase in national and international collaborations to identify and implement effective solutions.” The first session, on May 22, 2023, focused on activities of agencies that primarily fund or conduct research. A second session, scheduled for June 6, 2023, will focus on activities of agencies with regulatory responsibilities or that engage in interagency or international collaborations on the subject of micro- and nanoplastics. The agenda for the June 6, 2023, session includes:
- 1:00 p.m. (EDT) — Reconvening/introductory remarks (Anil Patri, Director, Nanotechnology Core Facility, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), moderator);
- 1:05 p.m. (EDT) — U.S. Department of State: International Collaborations and Negotiations (Rob Wing);
- 1:15 p.m. (EDT) — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Overview (Kay Ho);
- 1:25 p.m. (EDT) — FDA: Scientific Review (Stacey Wiggins);
- 1:35 p.m. (EDT) — Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH): Overview (Custodio Muianga, Gaston Casillas, and Max Zarate-Bermudez);
- 1:50 p.m. (EDT) — Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC): Interagency Collaborations (Joanna Matheson); and
- 2:00 — Facilitated questions and answers and discussion.
Registration for the June 6, 2023, session is open.