Nano and Other Emerging Chemical Technologies Blog

On September 25, 2024, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) posted a NIOSH Science Blog item entitled “Celebrating 20 Years of the Nanotechnology Research Center: Measuring the Small Things,” the final installment of the blog series commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Nanotechnology Research Center (NTRC). According to the item, when NTRC was created in 2004, one of its biggest challenges was understanding exactly what to measure and how to measure it....

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) posted a blog item on September 10, 2024, entitled “NTRC Marks 20 Years of Studying Nanotoxicology: Highlights from the Toxicology and Internal Dose Team” that reviews the Nanotechnology Research Center’s (NTRC) achievements in the field of nanotechnology. The blog item highlights where NTRC started, where it is now, NTRC’s partnerships, and its work modeling workplace exposure to assess toxicity. According to the blog...

The National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO) is organizing a series of National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) webinars on nanometrology, metrological challenges, and recent advances in three topical areas: food, agriculture, and the environment; nanoscale medical and pharmaceutical products; and nanoparticles in electronics. Registration is open for the fifth webinar in the series, “Nanometrology for Continuous and Automated Manufacturing.” The October 4, 2024, webinar will...

As part of its quadrennial review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) will hold a virtual town hall on September 5, 2024, for stakeholders to share their thoughts on the future of nanotechnology in the United States. The overall objective of NASEM’s review is to identify opportunities and barriers to broadening access to nanotechnology research and development (R&D) infrastructure in the United States. As...

On August 20, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed significant new use rules (SNUR) ) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for chemical substances, including graphene nanoplatelets (generic), that were the subject of premanufacture notices (PMN) and a Microbial Commercial Activity Notice (MCAN) and are also subject to a TSCA Order. 89 Fed. Reg. 67368. The SNURs would require persons who intend to manufacture (defined by statute to include import) or process...

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking applications for research to develop and demonstrate nanosensor technology with the potential to detect, monitor, and degrade per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in groundwater or surface water that may be used as drinking water sources. EPA states that advances in nanoscience and nanotechnology have the potential to address the challenges of detection and treatment of PFAS-contaminated waters. Because nanomaterials are smaller in...

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) posted a blog item on August 1, 2024, entitled “When Nanoparticles Blow Up — Explosion Hazards of Nanoparticles.” According to the blog item, little is known about the potential explosivity of any material when subdivided down to the nanoscale, prompting the NIOSH Nanotechnology Research Center (NTRC) to study the explosivity of several classes of nanoparticles: The blog item states that “[c]ombustibility should...

The 2024 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Nanotechnology Research Center (NTRC) Nanotechnology Health and Safety Summit will be held October 9-10, 2024. During the conference, industry, academic, and government experts will share the latest advancements in occupational exposure to nanotechnology and advanced materials. The conference will also address critical safety and health challenges and offer valuable insights and foresights on a range of cutting-edge topics,...

The European Commission (EC) launched a call on July 5, 2024, for applications for members of the new Technology Council for Advanced Materials. According to the Directorate General (DG) for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs, “this high-level group will coordinate efforts to meet future needs for advanced materials in Europe, and is key to building a single advanced materials ecosystem.” The EC’s February 2024 Communication on Advanced Materials for Industrial Leadership...

On July 1, 2024, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) posted a NIOSH Science Blog item entitled “Celebrating 20 Years of the Nanotechnology Research Center: Highlights from Engineering Controls and Personal Protective Equipment,” part of a series commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Nanotechnology Research Center (NTRC). The item notes that NIOSH researchers “have conducted laboratory and field research to develop and implement science-based national...