Nano and Other Emerging Chemical Technologies Blog

Regulatory & legal developments involving nano and other emerging chemical technologies

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By: Bergeson & Campbell, PC

Blog Authors

Charles M. Auer
Carla N. Hutton
Lynn L. Bergeson
Richard E. Engler, Ph.D.

Latest from Nano and Other Emerging Chemical Technologies Blog

On September 26, 2018, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) will discuss the Fiscal Year 2019 Operating Plan.  According to the Operating Plan, in fiscal year (FY) 2019, CPSC will continue supporting nanotechnology research and working with other federal agencies under the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) to minimize duplication and overlap of existing research efforts.  CPSC will undertake the following collaborative research activities: Develop tools to prioritize and investigate human exposures to nanomaterials;…
Germany’s Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) has published a report entitled Comparison of Inhalation and Intratracheal Instillation as Testing Methods for Characterisation of Granular Biopersistent Particles (GBP).  In Project F 2364, researchers conducted an in vivo validation study to evaluate the consistency of data with results obtained in the preceding intratracheal instillation study in Project F 2336.  The abstract states that the same test items were used, and similar lung loads…
On September 18, 2018, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published a Federal Register notice announcing the availability of a draft document entitled Current Intelligence Bulletin:  Health Effects of Occupational Exposure to Silver Nanomaterials.  As reported in our January 22, 2016, blog item, NIOSH published a draft Current Intelligence Bulletin (CIB) on silver nanomaterials on January 21, 2016.  According to the notice, the revised draft CIB provides an updated scientific literature…
The European Commission (EC) has published a success story, “Controlling light at the nanoscale thanks to graphene.”  The EC notes graphene, “an atomically thin lattice of carbon, has many exceptional properties.”  A European Union (EU)-funded project is focusing on the unique capabilities of graphene plasmons to transport and control light emissions at spatial scales far smaller than their wavelength.  They can be exploited in numerous applications, including for infrared biosensing and absorption spectroscopy…
The September 2018 issue of the ECHA Newsletter includes an article entitled “Are the new REACH information requirements for nanos relevant for you?” written by Jenny Holmqvist, Coordinator for Nanomaterials for the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).  As reported in our April 26, 2018, blog item, the European Commission (EC) Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) Committee voted on April 26, 2018, to amend several REACH Annexes to clarify the registration…
Registration is available for the National Nanotechnology Initiative’s (NNI) September 19, 2018, webinar on “Technology Pathways Toward Commercializing Nanotechnology.”  The webinar will focus on quality control in the manufacturing process and builds on NNI’s November 2017 Technology Pathways workshop.  Webinar panelists will engage in a dialogue about the criticality of and issues surrounding quality control in the production of nanomaterials.   Dr. Lisa Friedersdorf, Director of the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO), will moderate…
The European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) announced on September 7, 2018, that a new study found gaps in the current knowledge on the hazard and risk assessment of nano-sized pigments.  The study, commissioned by EUON, identified 81 nano-sized pigments currently used in the EU market.  The study was done to collect publicly available information on the identified nano-sized pigments that are on the EU market.  EUON states that the findings “show that the…
The Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) recently published a report, in English, entitled An Assessment of Methods of Sampling and Characterizing Engineered Nanomaterials in the Air and on Surfaces in the Workplace.  As reported in our March 29, 2017, blog item, IRSST first published the report in French.  The research project has two complementary parts:  a laboratory investigation and a fieldwork component.  The laboratory investigation involved…
The 12th International Nano-Authorities Dialogue was held in Germany on June 7-8, 2018.  According to the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), environmental, health, and occupational safety authorities, as well as industry, science, and civil society organizations from Germany, Austria, Luxemburg, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland, discussed current topics in the area of nano governance.  Meeting participants evaluated the state of play of nano regulation and focused discussions on recommendations on…
In July 2018, the Institute of Technology Assessment of the Austrian Academy of Sciences published an English version of Dossier No. 49, “Nanotechnological Applications for Food Contact Materials.”  The Dossier concludes that nanomaterials can significantly improve the properties of plastic materials, making nanocomposites “increasingly interesting for manufacturers, especially for food packaging.”  Nanomaterials used in food contact materials (FCM) in the European Union (EU) require authorization, and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is…