Tag: nanotechnology
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UK Nanotechnologies and Food Discussion Group Holds Initial Meeting
The U.K. Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) Nanotechnologies and Food Discussion Group has held its first meeting to consider advancing recommendations from a House of Lords Committee on Science and Technology 2010 report. Fifteen stakeholders from consumer organizations, academia, industry, and government departments met on January 13, 2011, to “exchange information between different sectors within the…
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New Studies Examine Nanoparticles in Food Chain
According to University of Kentucky researchers, manufactured nanoparticles discharged into waste streams could wind up in agricultural biosolids and thus enter the food chain. Jonathan D. Judy, et al., “Evidence for Biomagnification of Gold Nanoparticles within a Terrestrial Food Chain,” Environmental Science & Technology, December 2010. The study’s authors reportedly used gold nanoparticles to examine…
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NIOSH Assesses Occupational Exposure to Carbon Nanotubes, Nanofibers
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has announced the availability of a draft document that contains a toxicological assessment of the potential health risks of occupational exposure to carbon nanotubes and nanofibers. The draft document also provides recommendations for the safe handling of these materials, which can be found in many applications, including…
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EC Committee Defines “Nanomaterial”
The European Commission’s (EC’s) Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks has approved a definition for “nanomaterial” as a basis for future regulatory safety evaluations and risk assessments. The committee concluded that size is the most relevant consideration in defining the term, and that no scientific justification exists to prefer any specific size…
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White House Seeks Comments on Nanotech-Related Research
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy has published a notice requesting public comment on the National Nanotechnology Initiative’s draft “Strategy for Nanotechnology-Related Environmental, Health, and Safety Research.” Comments are requested by January 6, 2011. The draft describes the research that 25 federal agencies believe is needed to adequately assess the environmental, human…
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Anti-Pesticide Group Calls for Anti-Nanotech Comments to National Organic Program
Beyond Pesticides, a Washington, D.C.-based organization opposed to the use of pesticides, has issued a call for comments to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program (NOP) supporting recommendations by the National Organic Standards Board that would prohibit the use of engineered nanomaterials from certified organic products. According to the organization’s blog, the board…
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EC Opens Public Consultation on Nanomaterial Definition
The European Commission (EC) has solicited feedback on its proposed definition of the term “nanomaterial.” In response to a European Parliament request, the EC’s draft recommendation recognizes the need for a definition “at the global level, to serve as a basis also for EU regulation and implementing measures and instruments.” The proposal defines a nanomaterial…
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ASTM Forms Subcommittee to Address Consumer Goods Containing Nanoparticles
ASTM International, formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials, has announced the formation of a subcommittee to develop standards for nanoparticle-enabled consumer products, such as goods that contain nanoscale silver. The new “Subcommittee on Nano-Enabled Consumer Products” (E56.06) will be part of “Committee 56 on Nanotechnology,” established in 2005 to develop standard terms,…