Tag Archives: Six Years of OECD Work on the Safety of Manufactured Nanomaterials: Achievements and Future Opportunities

OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) and six years of nanomaterials safety work

Thank to Carla Caprioli (@carlacap)for pointing out this OCED (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development overview document of their health and safety activities regarding nanomaterials, which was announced on Sept. 13, 2012 according SafeNano,

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials (OECD WPMN) has released an announcement regarding “Six Years of OECD Work on the Safety of Manufactured Nanomaterials: Achievements and Future Opportunities“.

As nanomaterials started to be used in commercial applications, OECD launched a programme of work in 2006 to ensure that the approaches for hazard, exposure and risk assessment for manufactured nanomaterials are of a high quality, science-based and internationally harmonised.

Based on this, the OECD and its member countries have come to the conclusion that the approaches for the testing and assessment of traditional chemicals are in general appropriate for assessing the safety of nanomaterials, but may have to be adapted to the specificities of nanomaterials. As with other chemicals, it is clear that each nanomaterial may pose specific challenges, but in most instances, they can be addressed with existing test methods and assessment approaches. In some cases, it might be necessary to adapt methods of sample preparation and dosimetry for safety testing. Similarly, adaptations may be needed for certain Test Guidelines but it will not be necessary to develop completely new approaches for nanomaterials. OECD continues to review all existing methodologies to identify and implement the necessary changes needed for their application to nanomaterials.

The four-page document won’t provide any new information or insights for long time observers but for new observers it does offer a listing of the OECD-published documents on safety and engineered nanomaterials. This excerpt from p. 4 of the document describes the OECD’s future plans,

There is still much to learn before our understanding of the safely [sic] use of manufactured nanomaterials is sufficient. However, the work achieved so far allows a better understanding of remaining “unknowns”. Knowing that the general approaches for the testing and assessment of traditional chemicals are in general appropriate for assessing the safety of nanomaterials, OECD will now focus on those specific aspects of manufactured nanomaterials, which require the adaptation and/or development of specific testing methods used for assessing human health and environmental safety as well as on developing guidance documents for assessing manufactured nanomaterials adapted to their specifities. This will  include guidance on estimating exposure (including fate and transport) on how to use results on physicochemicals [sic] endpoints in exposure assessment and mitigation measures to reduce exposure to safe levels (defining appropriate exposure metrics). At the same time, as R&D on manufactured nanomaterials/nanotechnologies is increasing, OECD remains vigilant in order to address emerging issues in a timely and resource efficient way.

It’s a good to find compilations either to point you in the right direction for your document or to confirm that you’ve found everything on the subject and on very rare occasions you may realize you found something everyone else missed.