Safety Updates

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Program on Chemical Safety (IPCS) published a draft Environmental Health Criteria (EHC) Document, Principles and Methods to Assess the Risk of Immunotoxicity Associated with Exposure to Nanomaterials. …. http://www.safenano.org/news/news-articles/who-seeks-comment-on-draft-document-concerning-assessing-the-risk-of-immunotoxicity-associated-with-exposure-to-nanomaterials/

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) recently published standard ISO/TR 19601:2017, “Nanotechnologies – Aerosol generation for air exposure studies of nano-objects and their aggregates and agglomerates (NOAA).”……… http://www.safenano.org/news/news-articles/iso-standard-describes-aerosol-generation-for-air-exposure-studies-of-nano-objects-and-their-aggregates-and-agglomerates/

On 1st June, 2017, the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety published meeting documents from the Expert Dialogue on “Opportunities and Risks of the Application of Nanotechnologies in the Construction Sector.” …….. http://www.safenano.org/news/news-articles/germany-publishes-expert-dialogue-report-on-application-of-nanotechnologies-in-the-construction-sector/

The anticaking agent E551 silicon dioxide, or silica, has been used widely in the food industry over the past 50 years. Now, however, researchers working on the National Research Programme “Opportunities and Risks of Nanomaterials” have discovered that these nanoparticles can affect the immune system of the digestive tract…… http://www.safenano.org/news/news-articles/nanoparticles-as-food-additives-improving-risk-assessment/

In a collaboration between Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (PLUS) and the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO NV), researchers have developed a novel air-liquid interface exposure system, affectionately named the NAVETTA by its creator Dr Madl, for the exposure of aerosolised engineered nanoparticles to living cells….. http://www.safenano.org/news/news-articles/novel-in-vitro-inhalation-exposure-system-developed-at-the-university-of-salzburg/      

Imaging the size distribution of metal nanoparticles (NPs) in a tissue has important implications in terms of evaluating NP toxicity. Microscopy techniques used to image tissue NPs are limited by complicated sample preparation or poor resolution…. http://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-03275-x

Nanoparticles (NPs) size, surface functionalization, and concentration were claimed to contribute to distribution and toxicity outcomes of NPs in vivo. However, intrinsic chemical compositions of NPs caused inconsistent biodistribution and toxic profiles which attracted little attention. In this study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were used to determine the biodistribution, toxickinetic, and genotoxicity […]

The protest group “THONG”, this week, used Street-Theater tactics on Chicago’s Michigan Avenue to draw attention to one of the first commercial nano-tech involved consumer products, a branded line of stain and water repellant clothing. Looking at the store sign, can you guess who the target market is?…. https://www.treehugger.com/culture/nano-tech-street-protest-on-chicagos-magnificent-mile.html

ANSES has submitted a proposal to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) for titanium dioxide to be classified as a Category 1B carcinogen by inhalation. Since 31 May 2016, this proposal has been the subject of a public consultation on the ECHA website to enable interested stakeholders to present their points of view, scientific arguments or […]

The purpose of the international research project NANOaers (= Fate of aerosolised nanoparticles: The influence of surface active substances on lung deposition and respiratory effects) is to establish where airborne, respirable particles remain after they have been inhaled…… http://www.nanowerk.com/nanotechnology-news/newsid=47038.php  

‘Coherent approach’ towards precautionary principle endorsed Germany has adopted its third nanotechnology action plan, which outlines a strategy for the safe and environmentally friendly production of nanomaterials from 2016-2020. The ministry of education and research (BMBF), which submitted the plan, said projects involving nanomaterials will focus on regulatory and safety matters…… https://chemicalwatch.com/50559/germany-launches-2020-nanomaterials-action-plan

Globally existential threats due to ‘overpopulation momentum’ together with the top-heavy age structure leave by now no alternative to radical technological adaptation for anything that wants to survive ‘long term’.  It is strictly too late to ‘go green’ except via a novel take on what constitutes ‘green’, including synthetic biology.  Hyped for a long time, […]

Warnings about possible health risks from tiny particles used in some sunscreens have rocked Australians’ faith in them, a new federal government survey shows, and experts fear lives will be lost as a result….. http://www.theage.com.au/national/sunscreen-fear-a-risk-to-health-20130331-2h1hc.html

Nanomaterials are lurking in our foods, but which ones? As the food industry is leaving consumers in the dark, we are left guessing what’s in our food and how it may be slowly killing us. Louise Sales, specialist in the field of nanotechnology dishes out the truth behind the probable dangers and why we should […]