On the 1st December 2009, the Nanotechnology Industries Association (NIA) started NANEX, a new project that aims to review and collate exposure information on nanomaterials under the European REACH program.
REACH is a new European Community Regulation on chemicals and their safe use (EC 1907/2006). It deals with the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemical substances. The new law entered into force on 1 June 2007.
Under the project title 'NANEX - Development of Exposure Scenarios for Manufactured Nanomaterials', the consortium will collect and review available exposure information and develop a set of generic exposure scenarios for three very relevant nanomaterials:
- high aspect ratio nanomaterials - HARNs,
- mass-produced nanomaterials, and
- specialized nanomaterials that are currently only produced on a small scale
Data collected will include both quantitative (measurement results if available) and qualitative, contextual exposure information (risk management measures).
In support of the project targets, the applicability of existing models for estimating occupational and consumer exposure as well as available model for estimating environmental release and human exposure through the environment will be reviewed and a small number of specific case illustrations, covering occupational, consumer and environmental release/exposure scenarios and carry out a gap analyses of the available knowledge and data and define research priorities will be conducted.
The aim of the NANEX project is to develop a catalogue of generic and specific exposure scenarios for MNMs relevant for human and environmental exposure as outlined in REACH, taking account of the entire lifecycle of these materials.
Related Links:
PROSPECT - The new Vision for Nanomaterials
'PROSPEcT - Ecotoxicology Test Protocols for Representative Nanomaterials in Support of the OECD Sponsorship Programme', the NIA's flagship project on nanomaterials safety, has launched its dedicated PROSPECT project website. (3rd December 2009)
PROSPECT - The new Vision for Nanomaterials
'PROSPEcT - Ecotoxicology Test Protocols for Representative Nanomaterials in Support of the OECD Sponsorship Programme', the NIA's flagship project on nanomaterials safety, has launched its dedicated PROSPECT project website. (3rd December 2009)
Registered NIA Members can now download the following exclusive documents (i.e. Meeting Presentations, Meeting Notes, etc.), recently uploaded onto the secure ‘Members only’-area of the NIA website: 9th October 2009: Stakeholder Conference: Nanomaterials on the Market - What Regulators Need to Know
