Nano and Other Emerging Chemical Technologies Blog

On September 13, 2016, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) announced the availability of an updated list of chemicals of high concern.  Chemicals added to the list of chemicals of high concern include silicon carbide whiskers (Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) Number 409-21-2), carbon nanotubes, multi-walled MWCNT-7 (CAS Number 308068-56-6), and silicon carbide, fibrous (CAS Number 308076-74-6).  MDH added these nanomaterials based on their International Agency for Research on Cancer...

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published ISO/TR 16196:2016, “Nanotechnologies — Compilation and description of sample preparation and dosing methods for engineered and manufactured nanomaterials.”  The goal of the standard is to assist scientists and experts to understand, plan, choose, and address issues relevant to nanomaterials before and during toxicological testing.  The descriptions of sample preparation method factors for both in vitro and in...

Germany Publishes Review of the Joint Research Strategy of the Higher Federal Authorities On September 19, 2016, the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) published a report entitled Review of the joint research strategy of the higher federal authorities — Nanomaterials and other advanced materials:  Application safety and environmental compatibility.  The report states that in a long-term research strategy, the higher federal authorities responsible for...

An August 15, 2016, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) blog item describes EPA’s research on sunscreens containing engineered nanomaterials and how they might change when exposed to chemicals in pool water.  According to EPA, many sunscreens contain titanium dioxide engineered nanomaterials, which are often coated with other materials such as aluminum hydroxide to shield skin from reactive oxygen species.  EPA researchers are testing to see whether swimming pool water degrades the...

On September 22, 2016, the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO) will hold a webinar on the insurance industry and the challenges of underwriting nanotechnology and other emerging technologies.  NNCO Director Dr. Michael Meador will moderate the webinar discussion.  Speakers will include: NNCO encourages representatives of the insurance industry, the nanotechnology business community, and interested members of the general public, media, academia, industry,...

On September 13, 2016, the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) announced in the Federal Register the availability of the draft 2016 NNI Strategic Plan for public comment.  The NNI Strategic Plan represents a consensus among NNI agencies on the high-level goals and priorities of the NNI, and on specific objectives to be pursued over at least the next three years.  The NNI Strategic Plan provides the framework under which individual NNI agencies conduct their own...

In early September 2016, the National Academies published a prepublication version of the Triennial Review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative.  The National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO) asked the National Research Council (NRC) to conduct a triennial review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI).  In particular, the NRC was asked to assess:  (1) mechanisms to advance focused areas of nanotechnology toward advanced development and commercialization; and (2) the...

The European Commission (EC) requested a scientific opinion from the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) on styrene/acrylates copolymer and sodium styrene/acrylates copolymer in nano forms.  Under the Cosmetics Regulation, any cosmetic product containing a nanomaterial must be notified to the EC six months prior to being placed on the market.  If the EC has concerns about the safety of the nanomaterial, it will refer it to the SCCS for a full risk assessment....

The synopsis is available for the June 6-7, 2016, U.S.-European Union (EU) Nano Environmental and Health Safety (NanoEHS) Research Efforts joint workshop.  According to the synopsis, the first day of the workshop was devoted to an interactive nanoEHS scrimmage in which the groups collectively responded to a spill of a hypothetical nanotechnology-enabled product.  U.S.-EU Communities of Research (COR) representatives planned the scrimmage, and the highlights and findings from...

The 2016 Global Summit on Regulatory Science (GSRS) will be held September 7-9, 2016, in Bethesda, Maryland.  Each GSRS meeting focuses on an area of regulatory science that would benefit from discussions aimed at identifying future research directions, and this GSRS meeting will focus on nanotechnology standards and applications, building on an October 11, 2015, GSRS workshop.  The 2015 workshop focused on physico-chemical measurements and standards relevant to...