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The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), as part of the activities of the European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON), is conducting a stakeholder survey on the substances available as nanomaterials in the EU market. The survey includes a market study of the nanomaterials, including substances, uses, volumes, and key operators in the EU. According to EUON’s May 21, 2021, news item, the survey aims to provide an overview of the substances that are available as...

On April 29, 2021, the European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) published a Nanopinion entitled “Biotransformation of nanomaterials while transferring in the food chain” by Dr. Fazel A. Monikh.  As the application of nanomaterials increases, more of these materials are released in the environment.  Monikh states that some nanomaterials that are persistent in the environment raise concerns as they can enter organisms’ bodies, accumulate in their organs, and...

On March 19, 2021, the European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) published a Nanopinion entitled “ECETOC task force ensures society benefits from safe nanomaterials via efficient safety assessments that require minimal animal testing” by authors from BASF and the Center for Chemical Safety Assessment (ECETOC).  The column reviews ways to assess the safety of nanomaterials while minimizing animal testing.  According to the authors, the NanoApp developed by the ECETOC...

The European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) announced on March 19, 2021, that it is looking for topic suggestions that could be addressed in its upcoming studies.  According to EUON, up to three studies are conducted annually to address knowledge gaps on nanomaterials that are of interest to the general public and the research community.  EUON states that it seeks studies that address: The scope of the study can be on nanomaterials in general, a specific...

On February 19, 2021, the European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) published a Nanopinion entitled “eREACHNano helps you to register nanoforms under REACH” by Dorte Rasmussen, Ph.D., who has been working on the exposure and risk assessment of chemicals at DHI A/S for almost 25 years.  Rasmussen describes eREACHNano, a tool developed to explain Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation requirements for nanoforms. ...

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has published the latest edition of the Developments in Delegations on the Safety of Manufactured Nanomaterials — Tour de Table.  The Tour de Table compiles information provided by delegations on the occasion of the 20th meeting of the OECD Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials (WPMN) in September 2020.  Below are highlights from the Tour de Table: Between November 2018 and August 2020, EPA...

In December 2020, the European Commission (EC) Directorate-General (DG) for Research and Innovation opened a call for tenders for “Providing market data about nanotechnology to enhance transparency.”  The description states that the study on nanotechnology/nanomaterials is aimed to provide a new set of data from the period of 2017 to 2020 into the NanoData database, available on the European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) website.  This study will follow up on...

The European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) is conducting a web satisfaction survey.  EUON provides information on the safety, innovation, research, and uses of nanomaterials on the EU market.  It is intended for stakeholders developing policies in the area, consumers, industry representatives, and non-governmental organizations.  EUON is funded by the European Commission (EC) and hosted and maintained by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).  Information from the survey...

The European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) announced on November 16, 2020, the results of a study on how citizens perceive nanomaterials and their potential risks to human health and the environment.  According to EUON, the study found that general awareness about the nature, characteristics, and properties of nanomaterials is low.  EUON notes that the level of awareness has increased compared to earlier surveys, however, and is expected to continue...

On August 31, 2020, the European Union (EU) Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) published a Nanopinion entitled “Nanosilver in healthcare — does the silver bullet exist?” by Dr. Dorota Napierska, Chemicals Policy and Projects Officer, Health Care Without Harm Europe (HCWH Europe).  Napierska examines how beneficial the properties of nanosilver are in clinical settings and the risks involved.  Napierska notes that a key point in assessing the toxicity of nanosilver is to adopt...