Nano and Other Emerging Chemical Technologies Blog

On October 7, 2019, the European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) published a Nanopinion by Lise Bitsch, Governing Nanotechnologies through Societal Engagement (GoNano), entitled “Strengthening societal engagement with nanotechnologies.”  Bitsch presents several arguments for why actors in the research and innovation world of nanotechnologies and other key enabling technologies should care about societal engagement.  Bitsch also explains what societal engagement is...

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) issued a press release on October 8, 2019, reminding companies that by January 1, 2020, companies must provide more information on nanomaterials on the European Union (EU) market under the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation.  The new information requirements concern companies that manufacture or import nanoforms of substances that are subject to registration under REACH.  As...

We are pleased to announce that the Fall 2019 issue of The SciTech Lawyer, published by the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Section of Science and Technology Law, includes an article co-authored by Lynn L. Bergeson and Carla N. Hutton, “Nanotechnology and Regulatory Certainty Closer Now Than Ever.”  Nanoscale technologies and their resultant innovations have long captured the imaginations of scientists and inventors, the scrutiny of regulators, and the apprehension of...

According to an item in the September 2019 issue of NIOSH eNews, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is working with RTI International to distribute a survey to companies that manufacture, distribute, fabricate, formulate, use, or provide services related to engineered nanomaterials.  The item states that the goal of the survey is to assess the impact of NIOSH’s contribution to guidelines and risk mitigation practices for the safe handling of...

On November 12, 2019, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) will hold a webinar on the amended information requirements for nanoforms under the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation.  As reported in our December 4, 2018, blog item, the European Commission (EC) announced on December 3, 2018, that it adopted amendments to several REACH Annexes to clarify the information requirements for nanomaterials.  The amended...

On September 19, 2019, the European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) announced the results of a study it commissioned to examine “next generation” nanomaterials and determine whether the current terminology used in the EU chemicals regulations, as well as the implementation of the current legal requirements for identifying nanomaterials, are likely to pose technical challenges.  The objectives of the study were to: According to EUON, the study findings...

The National Nanotechnology Initiative will hold a webinar on October 8, 2019, on “Evaluating Worker and Consumer Exposure to Engineered Nanomaterials.”  The webinar, part of NNI’s 2019 series on the environmental, health, and safety effects of nanomaterials (nanoEHS), will examine the tools, techniques, and successes in assessing and managing potential effects of engineered nanomaterials (ENM) in the workplace and consumer environments.  According to NNI, the presentations...

The European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) has created a Nanopinion section, where it invites views from different contributors ranging from policy-makers and authorities to industry and civil society on their work and priorities related to nanomaterials on the EU market.  The first item, posted on September 16, 2019, is “EUON:  past, present and future,” written by Bjorn Hansen, Executive Director of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).  As reported in our...

The September 10, 2019, issue of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Science Matters newsletter includes an article entitled “Keeping up with 3D Printing:  EPA Researchers Build on New Plastic Emissions Study.”  According to the article, EPA scientists, through an agreement with the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), are investigating whether increased use of 3D printers can lead to unintended adverse impacts to human health.  EPA states that...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a Federal Register notice on September 11, 2019, to provide an additional 30-day comment period on its proposed information collection project entitled “Survey of Engineered Nanomaterial Occupational Safety and Health Practices.”  84 Fed. Reg. 47957.  As reported in our April 24, 2019, blog item, on April 23, 2019, CDC published a Federal Register notice inviting comment on the proposed...