Issue 49: Nanotechnology and nanomaterials government, regulation & policy news October-November 2017

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JRC publisheds nanomaterials framework

The European Commission (EC) Joint Research Center (JRC) has published a Science for Policy report entitled NANoREG framework for the safety assessment of nanomaterials.  The report was developed within the NANoREG project, “A common European approach to the regulatory testing of nanomaterials.”

First graphene ISO standard published 

The world’s first ISO (International Organisation for Standardization) graphene standard has been published. The standard will provide consistency across the emerging world-wide graphene industry and accelerate the 2D material’s commercial exploitation.The new international standard, led by the National Physical Laboratory (NPL), defines the terminology used to describe the many different forms of graphene and related 2D materials, supporting companies in the testing and validation of the ‘wonder material’. This will provide clarity among manufacturers, suppliers, NGOs and academia, helping to unlock new applications, drive down manufacturing costs and open up industrial-scale use of graphene for applications from next-generation computer chips to smart sensors in clothing. https://www.iso.org/standard/64741.html

Draft regulation to address nanoforms of substances

On October 9, 2017, the European Commission (EC) began a public consultation on a draft regulation that would amend Annexes I, III, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, and XII of the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation to address nanoforms of substances. The EC has posted the comments online. Further information at  http://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/initiatives/ares-2017-4925011_en

OECD publishes new test guidelines for nanoparticles

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has published methods that are specifically designed to assess the toxicity and environmental impacts of nanoparticles. Three new test guidelines have been produced by the OECD’s working party on manufactured nanomaterials, which was formed in 2006. Two describe inhalation toxicity studies that can be done on rodents over 28 days or 90 days, and the other details ways to measure the dispersal of nanoparticles in the environment.

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