New research published in the journal Nanotoxicology, suggests that gold nanoparticles found in a number of current products (personal care products, drug delivery, MRI contrast agents, solar cells) can affect adult stem cell functions, with potential impacts including inhibited fat storage, accelerated aging and wrinkling, slowed wound healing, and the onset of diabetes.  The work is “Gold nanoparticles cellular toxicity and recovery: Adipose Derived Stromal cells.”

The research team was led by Tatsiana Mironava, a visiting assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Molecular Engineering at Stony Brook University. They tested the impact of nanoparticles in vitro on multiple types of cells, including adipose (fat) tissue, to determine whether their basic functions were disrupted when exposed to very low doses of nanoparticles. Subcutaneous adipose tissue acts as insulation from heat and cold, functions as a reserve of nutrients, and is found around internal organs for padding, in yellow bone marrow and in breast tissue.

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A consortium of scientists has found that breathing ultrafine particles from a large family of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) that increasingly are found in a host of household and commercial products can cause lung inflammation and damage. The researchers examined responses of the lungs to nanomaterials made from three forms of titanium dioxide and three forms of multi-walled carbon nanotubes in a mouse model. The primary concern for exposure to most ENMs is by inhalation, although dermal, eye and ingestion exposures also may occur during the manufacture and commercial application of these materials in a wide variety of products.

The research on two of the most common types of ENMs already in widespread use was published online May 6, 2013, in Environmental Health Perspectives, the journal of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). It is the first multi-institutional study examining the health effects of engineering nanomaterials to replicate and compare findings from different labs across the country.

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Another "good news, bad news" post about nanosilver. Nanosilver is increasingly used in consumer goods, as well as medical and environmental applications, on account of its effective antimicrobial properties against certain pathogens. But a new study conducted by researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia, shows that overexposure to silver nanoparticles could cause other potentially harmful organisms to rapidly adapt and flourish.

The new research cautions that more work is needed to understand how micro-organisms respond to the disinfecting properties of silver nano-particles.

This result, published in the journal Small, could have wide-reaching implications for the future use of nanosilver as an antimicrobial agent with biomedical and environmental applications.  “We found an important natural ability of a widely occurring bacteria to adapt quite rapidly to the antimicrobial action of nanosilver. This is the first unambiguous evidence of this induced adaptation,” says co-author Dr Cindy Gunawan, from the UNSW School of Chemical Engineering.

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Research by scientists at the University of Bath (UK) is challenging claims that nanoparticles in medicated and cosmetic creams are able to transport and deliver active ingredients deep inside the skin.

The Bath study, published in the August 20, 2012, issue of the Journal of Controlled Release, found that even the smallest of nanoparticles tested did not penetrate the skin’s surface.

These findings have implications for pharmaceutical researchers and cosmetic companies that design skin creams with nanoparticles that are supposed to transport ingredients to the deeper layers of the skin.  The efficacy of those products may have to be reconsidered. 

From a safety and risk standpoint the findings are significant because they allay concerns that potentially harmful nanoparticles such as those used in sunscreens (e.g. titanium dioxide) can actually be absorbed into the body through dermal exposure.

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In a recent article, author Myrtill Simkó poses the important question, Why is the (nano-)dose question so important?  The article explores the issues and unanswered questions related to the need for dose-response science in the field of nanotoxicology.

Comment | 

A new study published in the February 21, 2012, issue of American Chemical Society journal Environmental Science & Technology ("Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles in Food and Personal Care Products"), provides the first broadly based information on amounts of the nanomaterial – a source of concern with regard to its potential health and environmental effects – in a wide range of consumer goods.

The study attempts to quantify the amount of nanoparticle TiO2 in common food products, derive estimates of human exposure to dietary nano-TiO2, and discuss the impact of the nanoscale TiO2 entering the environment.

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The use of engineered nanoparticles in food processing and pharmaceuticals is increasing, but the impact of chronic oral exposure to nanoparticles on human health remains unknown.

It has been estimated that the average person in a developed country consumes over a trillion man-made fine to ultrafine particles every day. Some features of nanoparticles may lead to harmful interactions with cellular material but few if any studies have yet addressed the chronic effects of nanoparticle exposure on the normal function of the intestinal lining, known as the epithelium.  

"Oral exposure to polystyrene nanoparticles affects iron absorption", published on February 12, 2012, in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, addresses that issue.

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The federal government needs a better plan and additional funding to assess the environmental and health risks posed by nanomaterials, a National Research Council panel said in a report released on January 25, 2012.

The report, "A Research Strategy for Environmental, Health, and Safety Aspects of Engineered Nanomaterials", was authored by the ad hoc NRC Committee to Develop a Research Strategy for Environmental, Health, and Safety Aspects of Engineered Nanomaterials.

The report of the 19-scientist Committee presents a strategic approach for developing research and a scientific infrastructure needed to address potential health and environmental risks of nanomaterials. Its effective implementation would require sufficient management and budgetary authority to direct research across federal agencies – which does not currently exist.

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On November 24, 2011, the EU's SAFENANO and ObservatoryNANO published an excellent new resource, the “Nanotechnology EHS Landscape” report.   I recommend a review by anyone with an interest in nanosafety and risk issues.

SAFENANO continues to offer great up-to-date information on nano safety issues and is one of my "must-read" sites on a regular basis.

The new report provides a map and concise overview of key organizations and their activities in nanotechnology Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) issues.  Activity in this sector has been growing for a decade, with multiple position papers, roadmaps, standardization committees, research groups, and significant research conducted. The literature has grown exponentially in the past 3 years in particular.

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A new study led by a group of Nanyang Technological University (NTU) researchers suggests that one of the most commonly used nanomaterials for consumer products can potentially cause cancer.

The chemical, Zinc Oxide (ZO), is used to absorb harmful ultra violet light. But when it is turned into nano-sized particles, they are able to enter human cells and may damage DNA, according to the new research findings. This in turn activates a protein called p53, whose duty is to prevent damaged cells from multiplying and becoming cancerous. However, cells that lack p53 or do not produce enough functional p53 may instead develop into cancerous cells when they come into contact with ZO nanoparticles.

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Researchers at Marshall University's Center for Diagnostic Nanosystems have demonstrated that nanoparticles of cerium oxide (CeO2), a common diesel fuel additive used to increase fuel economy, can travel to the lungs and from the lungs to the liver, potentially causing liver damage.

The data in the study by Dr. Eric R. Blough and his colleagues indicate there is a dose-dependent increase in the concentration of cerium in the liver of animals that had been exposed to the nanoparticles.  These increases in cerium were associated with elevations of liver enzymes in the blood and histological evidence consistent with liver damage.  The research was published in the October 13, 2011, issue of the peer-reviewed research journal International Journal of Nanomedicine.

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SAFENANO, Europe's Centre of Excellence on Nanotechnology Hazard and Risk, along with the Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM), have announced the official launch of the European Research project MARINA (MAnaging RIsks of NAnoparticles).

While there are standard procedures for product life cycle analysis, exposure, hazard, and risk assessment for traditional chemicals, it is not yet clear how these procedures need to be modified to address all the novel properties of nanomaterials. There is still an acute need to develop specific reference methods for all the main steps in managing the potential risk of ENM. The aim of MARINA is to develop such methods.

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The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI)'s latest environmental, health, and safety research strategy, published in October 2011, highlights what has become a risk assessment focus within the world of nano safety: The need to look at the entire impact of an application or product, from the workers who manufacture it to how the consumer uses it to the way it’s disposed of.

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The United States National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) this week released its 2011 NNI Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Research Strategy, which provides an integrated research framework meant to guide all federal agencies participating in NNI.

Six core categories of research were identified:

1. Nanomaterial Measurement Infrastructure
2. Human Exposure Assessment
3. Human Health
4. Environment
5. Risk Assessment and Risk Management
6. Informatics and Modeling.

The strategy also aims to address the various ethical, legal, and societal implications of this emerging technology.

The strategy is grounded in the principles of risk assessment and product life cycle analysis, so as to measure risk at every stage of a product’s development, from preliminary handling of raw materials to final disposal of finished products.

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A new study published in the June 2011 issue of The American Journal of Pathology, "Length-Dependent Retention of Carbon Nanotubes in the Pleural Space of Mice Initiates Sustained Inflammation and Progressive Fibrosis on the Parietal Pleura", shows that carbon nanotubes could pose risks in the occupational setting. The study was conducted by the University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom, and follows previous research in mice looking at the effect of carbon nanotubes on the stomach cavity.

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Depending on whom you ask, nanoparticles are, potentially, either one of the most promising or the most perilous creations of science.   Studying potential nanotoxicity presents significant challenges, in part due to the lack of accepted study techniques.  Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) appear to have found a way to manipulate nanoparticles so that questions like this can be answered.   (D.R. Reyes, G.I. Mijares, B. Nablo, K.A. Briggman and M. Gaitan. "Trapping and release of citrate-capped gold nanoparticles," Applied Surface Science, May 27, 2011.) 

The NIST team has developed a method of attracting and capturing metal-based nanoparticles on a surface and releasing them at the desired moment. The method, which uses a mild electric current to influence the particles' behavior, could allow scientists to expose cell cultures to nanoparticles so that any lurking hazards they might cause to living cells can be assessed effectively.

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A new study of popular nano-metal oxides was just published in the April 2011 issue of the Journal of Environmental Monitoring, a publication of the highly-respected Royal Society of Chemistry. The RSC is the largest organization in Europe for advancing the chemical sciences.

The article, “TiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles negatively affect wheat growth and soil enzyme activities in agricultural soil”, summarizes findings on the effects of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide nanoparticles on wheat growth and soil enzyme activities under actual field conditions. According to the authors, the increased use of nanoparticles has raised concerns about their possible harmful effects within the environment, but most studies have been in aqueous systems – not actual field conditions.

This new study found that both of the nanoparticles reduced the biomass of wheat.  The TiO2 nanoparticles stayed in the soil for long periods and primarily adhered to the cell walls of wheat.  The ZnO nanoparticles dissolved in the soil, enhancing the uptake of the nanoparticles by the wheat. Significant changes were also induced in soil enzyme activities. These enzymes are bioindicators of soil quality and health, and soil protease, catalase, and peroxidase activities were all inhibited in the presence of nanoparticles, although urease activity was unaffected.

The authors conclusion: “The nanoparticles themselves or their dissolved ions were clearly toxic for the soil ecosystem.”

Source: RSC Publishing

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In a set of recommendations that could have far-reaching implications, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has concluded that airborne super-small particles of titanium dioxide “should be considered a potential occupational carcinogen.”

A recently released NIOSH guidance document (NIOSH, 2011) on handling titanium dioxide (TiO2) powders in the workplace has generated a high level of interest as it puts forward an innovative approach that might have implications beyond TiO2.

The new document outlines the agency’s suggestions for exposure levels that will avoid long-term problems. The bulletin is discussed in some detail at the CDC/NIOSH Science Blog.

 

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Nanodermatology Society  

Where NANOTECHNOLOGY and DERMATOLOGY Meet

A number of posts in the past year have concerned updates about the potential risks of nanoparticles that are now in common use in sunscreen products – namely Zinc Oxide (ZnO) and Titanium Dioxide (TiO2). Some groups, such as Friends of the Earth, claim that nano-based sunscreens are actually hazardous to human health.

To address concerns, the Nanodermatology Society (NDS) was formed in 2010.
The NDS is a non-profit organization charged with monitoring nanotechnology as it relates to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of skin disease and evaluating their potential benefits and risks. The Society is composed of physicians, dermatologists, physicists, chemists, policy makers, regulators, nanotechnology scientists, and students involved in nanotechnology specifically related to dermatology from teaching, to education, to scientific research. For more information, see the NDS web site at www.nanodermsociety.org.

NDS has conducted what it considers a rigorous review of the scientific literature regarding the use and safety of nano-sized ultraviolet blocking ingredients. The result is issuance of The 2011 Nanodermatology Society Position Statement on Sunscreens.

"The picture is clear from all the available data," explains Dr. Adam Friedman Vice-President of the Nanodermatology Society and senior author of the Position Statement. "To date, the data show that the nanotechnology used in sunscreens is safe."

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"Potential Human Health Risks of Nanomaterials" was published in the March issue of the International Risk Management Institute (IRMI) newsletter.

The article, authored by Gradient Corp.’s Dr. Marc Nascarella and Dr. Barbara Beck, along with Attorney Joseph Clark of Day Pitney LLP, focuses on the potential human health hazards, risks, and liability issues associated with nanomaterial exposure.

The full article is available here, and is excerpted below.

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SAFETY ISSUES OF NANOMATERIALS ALONG THEIR LIFE CYCLE is a two day Symposium that will be held on May 4-5, 2011, at LEITAT Technological Center, Barcelona (Spain).  It is jointly organized by the coordinators of three European Community nanotechnology safety research projects: NANOPOLYTOX, NEPHH and HINAMOX.  

The aim of the Symposium is to discuss the human and environmental impacts of nanomaterials along their life cycle from their production through their processing, use, and end of life (recycling and/or disposal).   Therefore, the tools and methodologies proposed for the risk assessment (RA) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of nanomaterials will be one of the main topics of discussion in this symposium.

A panel of international experts have been invited as speakers and the lectures will be organized into six different sessions:

Session 1. International, national and regional initiatives on Nanotechnology / Nanosafety
Session 2. Nanomaterials: Synthesis, characterization and applications
Session 3. Human health impact of Nanomaterials
Session 4. Environmental impact of Nanomaterials
Session 5. Risk assessment of Nanomaterials
Session 6. Life cycle assessment of Nanomaterials

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At the core of research efforts to determine the impact of synthetic nanoparticles on the environment and living systems is a fundamental understanding of the interactions between man-made nanoparticles and natural living systems that have evolved over millions of years.

A March 2011 article in Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 

"A biophysical perspective of understanding nanoparticles at large"

presents an interesting discussion from a biophysical perspective that describes the fate of nanoparticles in both the aqueous phase and in living systems.

Authors Pu-Chun Ke, Associate Professor of Physics at Clemson University, and Monica H. Lamm, an Associate Professor at Iowa State University, suggest that to better describe nanoparticles at large it is necessary to acknowledge that:  1) the behavior of nanoparticles in biological systems and in the ecosystem are intertwined and often correlated; and 2) collaborations are essential for such interdisciplinary research.

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The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Nanotechnology Institute has published a new podcast as part of its educational outreach initiative on all aspects of nanotechnology developed by society.

 

The podcast, "Nano Environmental Health & Safety", with Dr. Andrew Maynard, Chair of the University of Michigan Risk Science Center, deals with environmental, health and safety aspects of nanotechnology.

 

Maynard, of course, is one of the most prolific nanorisk speakers and writers, and this latest ASME-sponsored discussion is worthwhile.  

 

The podcast is available via download on a complimentary basis at http://nano.asme.org/, where you can also sign up to be added to the Nanotechnology Institute mailing list to get announcements and information on ASME's Nanotechnology Institute endeavors.

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A joint workshop between the United States and the European Union will be held from March 10-11, 2011 in Washington, DC, in an effort to promote more effective collaboration between the two entities.

The purpose of the workshop, "The US and EU: Bridging NanoEHS Research Efforts", is to: Engage in an active discussion about Environmental Health and Safety questions for nano-enabled products; Encourage joint programs of work that would leverage resources; and, Establish communities of practice, including identification of key points of contact/interest groups/themes between key U.S. and EU researchers and key U.S. and EU funding sources for near-term and future collaborations.

Sponsors include the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), the European Commission, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The full program can be viewed online at the link below.
http://www.nano.gov/html/meetings/us-eu/index.html

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Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have many unique structural and mechanical properties. As a result, their potential applications -- especially in materials science and mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering and medical chemistry -- have been increasing. Results of studies in animals have raised concerns about the potential toxicity of some shapes and sizes of carbon nanotubes but the toxicological impact of nanoparticles has rarely been studied in plants.

Recent research by a team of scientists from China, led by Dr. Nan Yao, explored the effects of nanoparticles on plant cells. Their assessment of SWCNT cytotoxicity is published in the October 2010 issue of the American Journal of Botany.

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The American Society for Nanomedicine wrapped up its second annual conference in October 2010 with a presentation by two toxicology experts.  The meeting focused on mind-blowing nanomedicine research, but was tempered by a sobering message: "a new frontier comes with new, and often unknown, risks."

Gunter Oberdorster, a professor of environmental medicine at the University of Rochester, and Paul Howard, an official with the Food and Drug Administration's National Center for Toxicology Research, each said there are reasons to be concerned about the human and environmental impact of nanomedicine, particularly since there is a simple lack of knowledge about exactly what these new materials do.

According to Oberdorster, who is well-known and highly regarded in the nanotoxicology field, the common thinking about all nanomaterials is that they’re small and move freely around the body, and that humans have few defenses against them. Oberdorster suggested that it now seems clear that some nanoparticles, such as carbon nanotubes, can do harm to the body. But it is still unknown how other engineered nanosubstances, especially those being used in medical applications, will fare.

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Zinc, one of the most abundant metals in biological systems, is essential to life.  Zinc plays an important role in the brain; pancreas; intestine; and in the salivary, pituitary, and prostate glands.  Excess zinc, however, is toxic and can suppress absorption of other life-critical metals.  The question is, what are the likely health impacts of zinc oxide nanoparticles?  

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles are already commonly used in personal-care product formulations (sunscreens and cosmetics) as a protective agent against UV radiation.  A number of groups have raised questions whether zinc oxide nanoparticles are safe.  For example, in my post, Are Nanoparticles in Sunscreens Safe?  Friends of the Earth says "Nano should be a no-no," I point out that FoE claims that scientific research already completed indicates that metal oxide nanomaterials used in sunscreens (such as zinc oxide) can:

• Damage human colon cells.
• Damage brain stem cells in mice.
• Penetrate healthy adult skin.
• Travel up the food chain from smaller to larger organisms.
• Damage important microbes in the environment.
• Travel from mothers to unborn fetuses.

The existing research does not, in my view, support the FoE's strong and unqualified conclusions that nanoparticles like ZnO are dangerous to humans when used in topically applied suncreens and cosmetics.  

Meanwhile, new research in the past few months sheds additional light but also raises questions for further study.

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In late September 2010, The Centre for Food Safety (CFS), an arm of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, published a risk assessment study “Nanotechnology and Food Safety.”

The aims of the study were:

- to identify applications of nanotechnology in the food sector
- to identify the potential health and safety implications of nanotechnology in the food sector; and
- to review existing strategies for the risk assessment of engineered nanomaterials in food.

Some key excerpts from the CFS Study are included below.

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Nanotechnology VI Symposium: “Progress in Protection” is co-sponsored by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) and the University of California Los Angeles’ Center for the Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology (UC-CEIN). The symposium will build on topics discussed at DTSC’s previous nanotechnology symposiums. It also emphasizes occupational safety and health concepts, which are keys to reducing potential risks to workers and the environment from engineered nanomaterials (ENMs).

Discussion topics will include:  

- Collaboration between DTSC’s Office of the Chief Scientist, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and California’s leading universities to fill data gaps via the development of ENM risk-based guidelines. 

-Practical insights from current nanomaterial manufacturers regarding health and safety.

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In Germany the early detection of health risks in consumer-related areas is the responsibility of the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). In this context it has developed, together with the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) and the Federal Environmental Agency (UBA), a research strategy to identify the potential risks of nanotechnology. The goal of this research strategy is to structure this research area, to develop methods for the measurement and characterization of nanoparticles, to collect information on exposure, toxicological and eco-toxicological effects, and to promote the development of a risk–based test and evaluation strategy.

When questions about the safety and the potential risks of nanotechnology were becoming increasingly pressing, the BfR in 2006 began to carry out the interdisciplinary research project “Delphi Study on Nanotechnology - Expert Survey of the Use of Nanomaterials in Food and Consumer Products.”  Parts of the study were undertaken in cooperation with the Centre for Interdisciplinary Risk Research and Sustainable Technology Development (ZIRN) of Stuttgart University. The goal of this project was to lay the foundations for future BfR risk assessments of nanotechnology applications.

In September 2010 the results of the BfR Nano Delphi study were published, offering a detailed discussion of each of the basic nanostructured substances currently on the market, as well as across a variety of product uses.   This work is very helpful for those currently tasked with assessing and managing the likely future risks associated with nanomaterial usage.

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The latest development in the ongoing research into toxicity of nanosilver -- already being widely used as a bactericide and antimicrobial in a broad range of consumer and industrial products – will fuel the debate about the safety of nanosilver products. Although scientists have worked to reduce the toxicity of antimicrobial nanosilver in products (Chemists manage to reduce the toxicity of antimicrobial nanosilver in products, 2/24/10), nanosilver safety concerns remain strong, as discussed in a number of my previous Nanotortlaw.com posts.

Not helping to put these concerns to rest is a new study from a group of German researchers that suggests the toxicity of silver nanoparticles increases during storage because of slow dissolution under release of silver ions.  The report, “Toxicity of Silver Nanoparticles Increases during Storage Because of Slow Dissolution under Release of Silver Ions,” is published in the American Chemical Society journal Chemistry of Materials, Vol 22, Issue 16 (Aug 24, 2010).

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A team of researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a method for predicting the ways nanoparticles will interact with biological systems, including the human body. Their work could have implications for understanding the potential human and environmental risks associated with nanomaterials, as well as applications for drug delivery.

The study results appear in the Aug. 23 online edition of Nature Nanotechnology, "An index for characterization of nanomaterials in biological systems."
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Clemson University (Clemson, South Carolina) is hosting Nano2010, an international conference of scientists whose research is aimed at understanding how nanotechnology will affect the natural environment. This is the fifth annual international meeting on this topic following the success of previous meetings in the United Kingdom and, most recently, Nano 2009 held in Vienna, Austria.

Nano2010 coordinator Stephen Klaine is a Clemson University professor and Interim Director of the University’s Institute of Environmental Toxicology. As Professor Klaine observed, “[e]ngineered nanoparticles and nanomaterials offer many potential. socioeconomic, health and environmental benefits as a result of novel properties and behavior that materials can exhibit when manufactured at the nanoscale. While the production of nanomaterials is undergoing exponential growth, their biological effects and environmental fate and behavior are relatively unknown.”

Nano 2010 provide a venue for presentation and discussion of the most current research on these issues. The conference brings together an interdisciplinary mix of environmental scientists, toxicologists, material scientists and engineers from five continents, and invited speakers will provide global perspectives on environmental research with nanomaterials.

Sessions will focus on nanoparticle accumulation in the food chain, the impact on microbes, and their fate and behavior in aquatic and terrestrial environments. There also will be poster presentations and discussions.

A special feature of Nano2010 will be a pre-conference short course: Nanomaterials in the Environment, on Aug. 21 and 22. The course is designed to introduce students and faculty members to nanomaterials, review nanoparticle environmental fate and effects, and provide hands-on experience in nanoparticle interaction with life in water environments.

Source: Clemson University, Meridian Nanotechnology & Development News

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On July 1, 2010, the NanoBusiness Alliance issued a “Position Statement on Nanomaterials Product Sustainability,” which reflects NanoBusiness Alliance members’ commitment to managing effectively the environmental, health, and safety (EHS) implications of nanotechnology.

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Engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) are increasingly being tested in cellular and laboratory-animal experiments for hazard potential, but there is a lack of health effects data for humans exposed to ENPs. However, human data for another source of nanoparticle (NP) exposure are readily available, notably for the NPs contained in diesel exhaust particulate (DEP).

Researchers in the United States recently conducted a review of human data from clinical trials using Diesel Exhaust Particles (DEP) in an attempt to draw conclusions for the potential health hazards that could arise from exposure to ENPs.

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The ASSE’s annual conference, “Safety 2010,” held on June 13-16 in Baltimore, included two presentations about aspects of nanotechnology risk and safety.

1. Nanomaterials: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
(Leslie C. Caskey, Christopher W. Kolbash)

2. Nanotechnolog-E: Explosivity and Environmental Risks
(Louise E. Vallee, Julia C. Bradley, Erik G. Olsen)

If you are interested, these presentations are available for purchase from the ASSE website. http://www.asse.org/education/pdc10/

I briefly summarize the first presentation below.

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Environmental group Friends of the Earth (FoE) this week launched a summer advertising and public education campaign asserting that sunscreens containing manufactured nanoparticles could threaten human and environmental health.  See the link below:
http://foe.org/public-warned-about-nanosunscreen-risks

“What many beachgoers and others enjoying the summer sun don’t know is that the sunscreens they’re using contain manufactured nanoparticles that pose health risks,” said Friends of the Earth’s health and environment campaigner, Ian Illuminato. “What more and more studies are showing is that manufactured nanoparticles may be able to damage cells and have harmful health repurcussions. They also pose risks to workers and the environment, and there’s no evidence that they make sunscreens more effective at blocking the sun’s harmful rays.”

Friends of the Earth has placed an overview of what it says is the latest research related to nanosunscreens and human health at http://foe.org/healthy-people/nanosunscreens, and is advertising the web page via ads on several websites.

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A report titled "Nanotechnology, Health and the Environment" will be presented at the Nano Science and Technology Institute's (NSTI) “Nanotech Conference & Expo 2010” in Anaheim, CA, June 21-24, 2010. 

The report is available for download at Nanotechnology - Greenberg Traurig, LLP.

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The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Mountain and Plains Education and Research Center will hold a conference on "Nanomaterials and Worker Health: Medical Surveillance, Exposure Registries, and Epidemiologic Research."

The conference will be held on July 21–23, 2010, at the Keystone Resort and Conference Center in Keystone, Colorado.

NIOSH, part of CDC, is the federal agency legislatively established under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 that conducts research to prevent work-related injury, illness, and death.  NIOSH has been perhaps more active than any other U.S. federal agency so far in nanoparticle EHS research and I discuss the body of information available from NIOSH concerning whether nanomaterials pose risks for occupational illness at my earlier post, NIOSH Nanotechnology Health & Safety Update: Updated, Enhanced Web Resources Posted 12/8/09.

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Carbon nanotubes and other carbon nanomaterials are now, and are expected to remain, the most commonly used nanomaterial in industrial applications. They are also used in a wide variety of consumer products and that trend is expected to continue. Early research has already raised questions, if not concerns, about the environmental, health, and safety risks of some carbon nanomaterials, such as single-and multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

Twelve (12) leading companies involved in the commercialization of carbon nanomaterials and products recently formed the NanoSafety Consortium for Carbon ("NCC") to address nanoscale carbon environmental, health, and safety issues related to the responsible commercialization of their products.

The NCC website is designed to inform the public about its activities.

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I recommend that you add to your “nanolinks” for regular reading the NanoLaw Blog, hosted by Widener University Law School.

The NanoLaw Blog Mission Statement: Nanotechnology has been around for a while, but it is becoming more pervasive as new products and applications appear. The National Nanotechnology Initiative lists developing uses as diverse as cancer treatments, nerve regeneration, efficient solar energy, and both industrial and consumer product enhancement. Notwithstanding this burst of technological ingenuity, the impact of nanotechnology on human health and the environment has been only sparsely studied, and nanotechnology is virtually unregulated in the United States. Without information regarding the impacts of nanotechnology, agencies entrusted with making regulatory decisions regarding applications that use the technology – such as OSHA, FDA, and EPA – cannot effectively regulate. As an emerging technology with unknown risks, nanotechnology is likely to follow the path of other toxic torts in the areas of both private law and public law. The purpose of this site is to raise legal questions about the impact of nanotechnology and comment upon the ways in which those questions are likely to be raised in the legal system.

With the permission of the NanoLaw Blog I have below reproduced one of the recent posts, an interesting discussion of the legal significance of early nanomaterial studies of environmental, health and safety. You will find it interesting.

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“Nanotoxicology 2010” will be held from June 2nd – June 4th 2010, at Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Speakers presenting at Nanotoxicology 2010 are an esteemed international group of highly respected nanotechnology experts from industry, government, and academia in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia.

The conference will take place over 3 days, and will be divided into sections that allow focus on specific types of nanomaterials including carbon nanotubes (the most commonly used nanomaterial in industrial applications), nanometals (such as nanosilver, increasingly common in consumer products), and nanometal oxides (such as nano-titanium dioxide and nano-zinc oxide, the nanomaterials most widely used in consumer products currently).

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Much has been published in the past two years about the potential health and environmental hazards posed by silver nanoparticles used in a number of consumer products. This post concerns a positive story about nanosilver.

The cover story of the May 26, 2010, edition of the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS) describes how nanoparticles formed by very small numbers of silver atoms can protect against the cell damage caused by ethanol.

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Responding to a recent series of AOL News articles questioning the oversight of nanotechnology product safety, nanoTox™, Inc. COO Greg King said that nano-product companies will need to confront possible negative perceptions directly to avoid the kinds of public outcry experienced by bioengineered food companies in the past.

“It’s in people’s nature to fear the unknown,” said King. “And while companies may not be able to educate everyone in the complexities of nanotechnology, they can turn safety concerns to their advantage by being transparent about its use in their products, documenting their careful research and emphasizing concern over human and environment health.”

King was responding to the recent AOL News Special Report series entitled “The Nanotech Gamble” which explored possible risks that may accompany nanotechnology research and product development.   The series was greeted with concern by most in the U.S. nanoproduct industry.  See my May 12, 2010 post for more about the series. 
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“A mounting body of research shows nanoparticles can cause disease and death. But regulators are doing little to respond.”

Strong words.  They are the opening sentence in Part 1 of a recent Special Report series of articles by Andrew Schneider, an investigative reporter, two-time Pulitzer winner, and Senior Public Health Correspondent for AOL News.  In his series, "The Nanotech Gamble: Bold Science, Big Money, Growing Risks,” which ran in AOL News beginning March 24, 2010, Schneider is harshly critical of federal government’s nanotech safety research efforts so far, asserting that federal funding actually “skimps on safety.”

The AOL Special Report series is a "must read" for anyone keeping abreast of the ongoing debate and discussion of nanotechnology safety. 

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Because nanoscale sunscreen and cosmetics ingredients currently are in relatively widespread consumer use – both zinc oxide and titanium dioxide – there has been an early focus on the health and safety of those specific nanoparticles. I have written about that research in several posts in the past few months (March 3, February 18). That research focused on whether dermal absorption of either TiO2 or ZnO resulted in the nanoparticles entering the bloodstream. It looks like that can happen. But what happens then?
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The Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology will hold its fourth annual symposium, “Environmental and Health Impacts of Engineered Nanomaterials,” on Thursday, April 29, at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

This year’s symposium brings together faculty experts engaged in various aspects of nanotechnology risk assessment and management research.
Jonathan Links, an INBT-affiliated professor in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences, assembled the slate of speakers from across four divisions of the university. Links said that this diversity reflects the multidisciplinary approach needed to effectively address questions of how nanomaterials move through and interact with the environment, and how they may impact biological organisms, including humans. read more

The President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) last week approved a report that urges "federal agencies to increase their collaboration on environmental, health, and safety questions arising from various applications of nanotechnologies."
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Atmospheric nanoparticles can’t be seen with the naked eye, but they can very visibly affect both weather patterns and human health all over the world – and not in a good way, according to a study by a team of researchers at Texas A&M University.

The study was published in the current issue of Nature Geoscience and was funded in part by the National Science Foundation. The research team from the Texas A&M Departments of Atmospheric Sciences and Chemistry examined how atmospheric nanoparticles are formed as well as their relationship and interaction with certain organic vapors in the air. Atmospheric nanoparticles may form either naturally or through man-made processes, such as traffic emissions, manufacturing processes, and now through the rapidly growing use of engineered nanoparticles.
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I want to let you know about two books (both available in paperback) that have some good information about nanotechnology risks to health and the environment.  These would be especially helpful for a non-scientist that wants to get a good sense of the general range of risk issues.

1.  Nanotechnology: Consequences for Human Health & the Environment  

Ronald E. Hester (Editor), Roy M. Harrison (Editor)  

2.  What Is Nanotechnology and Why Does It Matter?: From Science to Ethics

F. Allhoff, P. Lin, and D. Moore

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SAFENANO recently prepared an article -- SAFENANO Review of 2009 -- detailing some of the key developments in nanotechnology environmental health and safety (EHS) from 2009, and reflecting on what's in store for 2010. read more

A team of University of Calgary, Alberta, researchers are a step closer to helping solve a complex problem in the developing field of nanotoxicology: how to relate the physical properties of nanomaterials to potential risk when organisms are exposed to those materials. To study the physicochemical nature of nanoparticle accumulation in blood vessels or tissue, one needs to measure the nanoparticle properties in situ, because these properties could be significantly dependent on environment.  But how to make such measurements? 

Chemistry professor David Cramb, director of the Faculty of Science's nanoscience program, and his researchers have developed a methodology to measure various aspects of nanoparticles in the blood stream of chicken embryos. Their discovery is published in the March 2010 online edition of Chemical Physics Letters.

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Dr. Sally Tinkle, senior science advisor at the United States National Institute of Environmental Health Science, part of the National Institutes of Health, wrote an intriguing article recently, Examining the Holy Grail of Nanotechnology: Safe By Design.

Dr. Tinkle discusses the idea that nanomaterials can be engineered to be Safe by Design (SxD), meaning that they are designed to "maximize their benefit in problem solving and product development while posing minimal risk to human health and the environment."
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Just one week after publication of a study (see my Feb 18 post) by scientists at FDA and National Cancer Institute suggesting that one of the common nanoscale sunscreen ingredients – Titanium Dioxide (TtiO2) – is unlikely to penetrate healthy human skin and enter the bloodstream, research presented last week at the International Conference on Nanoscience and Nanotechnology in Sydney, Australia, shows that the skin can absorb and retain zinc oxide (ZO) nanoparticles, which are another nanoscale ingredient found commonly in many sunscreens and some makeup.
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The Obama Administration’s just-released National Nanotechnology Initiative’s (NNI) Supplement to the President’s 2011 budget indicates that the United States is doing some catch-up with Europe in addressing the safe development and use of nanotechnology-enabled materials, products and processes.

The best discussion and commentary I have seen on the issue is from Andrew Maynard in his blog 2020 Science. Here is some of what Maynard views as noteworthy:

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Many researchers working with nanomaterials use inadequate protection, if any at all, and most don't use special disposal methods for nanomaterials, claims a new study published January 2010 in Nature Nanotechnology.  The study is discussed in a January 31, 2010, post by Kate McAlpine, at Britain's highly regarded Royal Society of Chemistry, Chemistry World website.  www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2010/January/31011001.asp

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The editors of Scientific American write that the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must act swiftly to evaluate the possible health risks of nanotechnology.

Nanotechnology, they say, could emerge as an important tool to fight the threats of global warming and disease, but nanomaterials carry with them the potential for both good and harm.

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"Nanoparticles – one word: A multiplicity of different hazards"

That is the title of an Editorial written by twelve (12) leading nano-scientists from around the world and published in the December 2009 issue of the journal Nanotoxicology (December 2009, Vol. 3, No. 4, Pages 263-264).  The Editorial was written to draw the attention of the nanotoxicology community to how the term "nanoparticles" is being used indiscriminately and misleadingly, particularly in the titles of scientific papers and statements to the general media. The authors are disturbed and concerned that the lack of precision can, and in fact already has, created dangerously misleading and unscientifically supportable overgeneralizations about nanoparticle hazards.
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Could Nanoparticles Cause "Dramatic Mutations?"

A 12/13/09 web-based article on Discovery Communications' treehugger.com site poses the above question with the accompanying image.  The overly dramatic choice of words notwithstanding, the substance of the article is another interesting discussion of the on-going debate and emerging science about the safety of nanosilver particles, which are finding their way into more and more consumer products every month.  

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Need a holiday gift for your favorite Nanotechnophile?

Environmental and Human Health Impacts of Nanotechnology (J. Lead & E. Smith, eds., published by Wiley-Blackwell, October 19, 2009, 456 pp.) looks like a valuable resource for anyone keenly interested in nanotech environmental, health, and safety (EHS), whether academic researchers, scientists in industry, regulators, risk managers, or toxic exposure lawyers.

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Research funded by the National Institutes of Health, and published in the journal Cancer Research in November 2009, shows that titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles cause systemic genetic damage in mice. The research, completed at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, is the first to show that the widely-used nanoparticles had such an effect, said Robert Schiestl, the study's senior author and a Professor of pathology, radiation oncology and environmental health sciences. read more

A new research paper, "Barrier Capacity of Human Placenta for Nanosized Materials," published November 12 in peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives, establishes that some nanomaterials may pass through the transplacental barrier, raising the specter of risk from nanoparticle exposure in-utero. read more

On November 19, 2009, the United States National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health, announced that it is increasing its investment in understanding the potential health, safety and environmental issues of the nanoparticles used in everyday products.   The NIEHS press release can be viewed online at this link: http://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/releases/2009/nanotech.cfm
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A speaker at the workshop "Nanomaterials and Human Health & Instrumentation, Metrology, and Analytical Methods," being held this week as part of the White House's National Science and Technology Council, said, in a talk he meant to be provocative, that researchers can use cellular tests to obtain any result they want concerning the toxicity of a nanomaterial. read more

A new UK-based nanoparticle risk research center was launched this week.  

Edinburgh (Scotland) Napier University's new Centre for Nano Safety has been set up to identify whether a variety of nanoparticles can enter the human body – as well as other species such as bacteria, insects and plants – and cause harm.   The Centre's mission is to study the possible toxicity of nanoparticles, both biotoxocity and ecotoxicity.

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A new study was published on-line November 5, 2009, in Nature Nanotechnology with a provocative title: Nanoparticles can cause DNA damage across a cellular barrier.

The study was led by a team from the Bristol Implant Research Centre, UK, and raises some concern over the safe medical use of nanoparticles. The nanoparticles studied were cobalt/chromium alloy nanoparticles – because these are created in small amounts when artificial joints wear during use. The research shows – in a lab situation not designed to accurately replicate conditions in the body – that high doses of the CoCr nanoparticles can cause measurable damage to the DNA in human fibroblast cells (cells important in wound healing) across an intact cellular barrier without actually crossing the cellular barrier.

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On October 26, 2009, The Advisory Committee on Hazardous Substances to the United Kingdom's Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), issued a "Report on Nanosilver.”  The Report warns that more information on both the hazards of and exposure to nanosilver is urgently required, and recommended to British agencies that they gather information about products containing nanosilver. read more

A new study published October 25, 2009, in Nature Nanotechnology online --  "Inhaled Carbon Nanotubes Reach the Subpleural Tissue in Mice" --  provides further evidence for the asbestos-like effects of certain types of carbon nanotubes.

The study, by researchers at North Carolina State University, The Hamner Institutes for Health Sciences, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (all in the United States), found for the first time that multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) reach the outer lining of the lung when inhaled - as asbestos does.  The findings raise concerns that inhaled nanotubes may cause pleural fibrosis and/or mesothelioma.

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An article by Reed D. Rubinstein of Greenberg Traurig LLP, in the new issue of Nanotechnology Law & Business (Fall 2009), discusses a “petition” filed with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by the International Center for Technology Assessment (ICTA) and other special interest groups. The Petition claims that “research has mounted to indicate that nano-silver materials pose serious risks to human health and the environment.” As a result, the Petition demands (among other things) that the EPA regulate all nano-silver products as pesticides, and stop the use or sale of all consumer products using nano-silver under the authority of FIFRA, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. read more

Concerns have been raised about whether workers exposed to engineered nanoparticles are at increased risk of adverse health effects. The current body of evidence about the possible health risks of occupational exposures to engineered nanoparticles is quite small, and uncertainty means risk.

A new Canadian study to appear in a forthcoming issue of the International Journal of Nanotechnology suggests that current protective equipment used for existing chemicals may not offer adequate protection for workers handling nanomaterials. The study, by engineers in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Montreal’s School of Higher Technology, suggests that urgent research is necessary into the risks associated with the growing field of nanotechnology manufacture so that appropriate protective equipment can be developed. Prevention of harmful exposures from ingestion, inhalation, and dermal absorption are the reason that protective clothing and gloves, in addition to respirators, are often an essential and common sight in the chemical industry. However, the Canadian researchers wonder if standard protection against chemical risks is enough for workers who are handling nanomaterials. read more

On October 5, 2009, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources hosted a roundtable discussion with Dr. Andrew Maynard, Chief Science Advisor, Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C.

Discussion topics include nanotechnology basics and definitions, manufacturing process and opportunities, regulatory status, and potential environmental and health concerns.
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In a 10/12/09 post with the above-title, GreenFudge.org poses the important question, which has no clear answer:  "So what’s so scary about nanotechnology?"

With technological progress comes the increased potential for misuse and harm. The post suggests that fears about nanotechnology include those imagined (for example, tiny machines let loose into the environment; self-replicating nanobots that could conceivably become corrupt or out of control and act in a similar way that cancer cells – biological cells gone awry – do in organic bodies) and perhaps more realistic (imagine powerful nanotech in the wrong hands; dangerous nanoparticles being released into food and water sources by terrorists). And the fact that we simply still don’t know what nanotech is capable of, just as we used to be unaware that certain chemicals are poisonous or harmful to the environment or that CFCs were cutting a hole in the ozone layer.

Of course it is the latter type of fear that is of greatest practical significance to those companies involved with the manufacture and disrtibution of nanotechnology-enabled products, along with those in the risk management chain and their counsel.

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The critical importance of exposure assessment as an integral component of risk assessment and risk management of nanomaterials is widely recognized.  Significant effort is now focused on development of methods for characterizing, measuring, and modeling occupational and environmental exposure levels throughout nanomaterial product life cycles.

The International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health (IJOEH) is seeking submissions for a special issue provisionally titled, “Human and Environmental Exposure Assessment for Nanomaterials,” to be guest edited by Vladimir Murashov, PhD, Special Assistant to the Director, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

The special Nanomaterials issue of the IJOEH originates from presentations and discussions at the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative workshop on Human and Environmental Exposure Assessment (http://www.nano.gov/html/meetings/exposure/index.html) held on February 24-25, 2009 in Bethesda, MD.   According to the IJOEH, "The special is issue seeks to make a substantial contribution to the responsible introduction of nanomaterials into commerce by presenting critical data for risk management through state-of-the-science assessments, by identifying critical research gaps, and by facilitating coordinated efforts to address the gaps."

Submit manuscripts at www.ijoeh.com.  For information on the special issue, contact Vladimir Murashov at vladimir.murashov@cdc.hhs.gov.

Submissions must be received by January 15, 2010

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Regulation and Standards Development is Active . . .

- Government
- Quasi-Government
- Industry/Private Sector

. . . but still in early stages. No current health or environmental regulatory program squarely addresses nanotechnology or its applications.   EPA, FDA, OSHA, CPSC and USDA all claim statutes and regulations that could pertain to nanomaterials, as do federal research agencies such as CDC-NIOSH, NIH, and NIEHS (all agencies of the Dept. of HHS).  Each is currently evaluating to address novel risks of nanotechnologies and nanoparticlesgermane to their respective regulatory missions, and several now have stand-alone nanotechnology-focused working groups and have published initial reports of interest.  For example:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

-   EPA, Nanotechnology White Paper (2007) http://epa.gov/ncer/nano/publications/whitepaper12022005.pdf 

For current information see the EPA's nanotechnology web page.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

 -  FDA, Nanotechnology Task Force Report (2007)http://www.fda.gov/ScienceResearch/SpecialTopics/Nanotechnology/NanotechnologyTaskForceReport2007/default.htm

For current information see the FDA's nanotechnology web page.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention / National Institute for Occupation al Safety and Health (CDC-NIOSH)

-  CDC-NIOSH, Progress Toward Safe Nanotechnology in the Workplace (2007) http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2007-123/pdfs/2007-123.pdf

For current information see the CDC-NIOSH nanotechnology web page.

Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)

    Although the CPSC has no similar agency-level nanotechnology report, a good discussion of relevant consumer product nanotechnology issues was published by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies:

-  The CPSC and Nanotechnology (2008)
http://www.nanotechproject.org/process/assets/files/7033/pen14.pdf

 The CPSC recognizes that nanotechnology will be a continuously increasing concern, and nanotechnology was a focal point of the CPSC's August 25, 2009, hearing on its 2010-2011 agenda, priorities, and strategic plan.  Panelists at the hearing urged the CPSC to increase oversight of products manufactured with nanomaterials and to establish relevant safety guidelines for their use.    To read the panelists full testimony, see the CPSC web page.

 

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As with any new technology, the earliest and most extensive exposures to engineered nanoparticles are likely to occur in the workplace. Workers may be exposed to nanomaterials during the manufacturing, end use, or during the disposal or recycling of nanomaterial-containing products and workplace exposure levels and frequencies are likely to be higher than that seen in the general environment.   The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is the leading federal agency conducting research and providing guidance on the occupational safety and health implications and applications of nanotechnologies.   Workplace exposure risks associated with the manufacturing of nanomaterials come within the auspices of the Occupational Safety and Health Act, 29 U.S.C. §651 et seq., and the regulations promulgated under the Act.     Maintaining current knowledge of the state-of the art in nanomaterial safety research is imperative for risk managers, insurance professionals, and their attorneys because the Act’s general duty clause requires that an employer must provide each employee with “a place of employment . . . free from recognized hazards that are likely to cause death or serious physical harm.” 29 U.S.C. §654(a)(1).
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The Age of Nanotechnology is here. Welcome to the Nanotort Law Blog.  

The Nanotort Law Blog aims to be a useful resource for lawyers and risk managers. It will help you stay abreast of the current state of hazard assessment knowledge, pertinent governmental regulation, industry and NGO standards and guidelines, and other important information germane to environmental, health, and safety risks and potential liabilities. The Nanotort Law Blog will also offer ideas and links to other helpful resources to help you monitor, understand and manage the potential - and as yet unkown - liability risks of Nanotechnologies.

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