By Porter Wright on I am pleased to announce that John Monica will be speaking on "The Possible Adverse Consequences of Pre-emptive Nanotechnology Regulation" at the two-day conference and workshop, Regulations for Nanotechnology in Consumer Products, February 8-9, 2007, Washington Marriott, Washington, D.C. This conference is aimed at those interested in doing more than simply scratching the surface of … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Nanotechnology Law Report’s own John Monica will be speaking on nanotechnology risks at HarrisMartin’s New Technology & Insurance Risk Conference, at the New York Marriott Financial Center Hotel, New York, NY, March, 1-2 2007. The conference covers many emerging risks facing the insurance industry, including nanotechnology risks. John will be speaking on the second day of … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on The American Industrial Hygiene Assocation has identified nanotechnology safety as among its members’ top concerns for 2007, according to this report in Occupational Hazards. AIHA identified nanotechnology as an OSHA concern and characterized the concern this way: Nanotechnology – The increased use of nanotechnology for consumer products raises concerns that a clearer understanding is needed to … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on According to a December 21, 2006 press release, both outgoing House Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) and incoming Chairman Bart Gordon (D-NT) urged the Bush administration "to establish a research agenda with clear priorities to ensure a greater understanding of the potential environmental, health, and safety risks associated with nanotechnology." I suspect that in 2007, … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on By, Jaime T. Landrum: As the impact of nanotechnology grows, more companies are considering the utilization of nanotech products and processes in the workplace. Questions regarding nanotechnology’s effect on the American worker, however, come side-by-side with these business decisions. As reported at Occupational Hazards, The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is expected … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on The United States Department of Defense’s Materials of Evolving Regulatory Interest Team (MERIT) recently announced that it added "nanomaterials" to its emerging contaminants watch list. The DoD defines "emerging contaminants" as those chemicals and materials with a "perceived or real threat to human health or environment," an "evolving regulatory interest," and "either no peer reviewed health standard … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Ed. note: every Friday (more or less) Nanotechnology Law Report’s David Fischer will look back at the week’s news and analysis of nano related issues. If you have something you’d like to bring to our attention, email him. The big event this week was the International Conference on Nanotechnology Occupational and Environmental Health & Safety in Cincinnati, Ohio. … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on For those of you who have been paying close attention to nanotechnology issues, be them regulatory or otherwise, you’ve noticed that there does not seem to be any one standard for nanotechnology terms, including "nanotechnology." While various organizations and agencies, such as the United States Environmental Protection Agency, American Bar Association, and Rice University, among … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Rice University’s Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology, together with researchers from University College London and the London Business School, released the results of a major consumer research study that sought to measure public perceptions of the risks & benefits of nanotechnology. As reported in PhysOrg, The largest and most comprehensive survey of public perceptions … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on At this morning’s session of the International Conference on Nanotechnology Occupational & Environmental Health & Safety in Cincinnati, Ohio, Daniel Japuntich, Division Scientist at 3M, presented "Filtration and Respirators: Current Knowledge." Japuntich shared 3M’s research findings indicating HEPA respirator materials are effective in filtering nanoparticles down to three (3) nanometers in size. … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on At today’s session of the International Conference on Nanotechnology Occupational & Environmental Health & Safety in Cincinnati, Ohio, Altairnano President and CEO — Alan Gotcher — and Health Safety and Environment Facilitator — Tabitha Maher — both gave presentations regarding Altairnano’s environmental, health, and safety (EHS) efforts centered around the company’s use of nanomaterials.… Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Given all the news recently about possible environmental regulation of nanotechnology, the potential benefits of these new discoveries sometimes gets lost in the shuffle. However, Rice University reported on November 16, 2006 that nanotechnology research shows promise in removing arsenic from drinking water. Recent experiments conducted by the Center for Biological and Environmental Technology at … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on The December 4, 2006 on-line edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences is set to publish findings from a recent in vivo animal study researching the possible health effects of SWCNTs deliberately injected into the bloodstream. Scientists at Rice University and the University of Texas are said to have found that carbon nanotubes are … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on On December 5, 2006 the Berkeley, California City Council will have its first reading of an ordinance to amend its municipal laws to included specific regulation of nanoparticles. If passed, this would be the first known instance of nanoparticle regulation at the local level.… Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on JCM: My reading is EPA’s new position on Samsung’s washing machine has little to do with the alleged "nanoness" of the silver ion particles released by the machine. Rather, EPA is focused on the claimed antimicrobial properties of the material. Whether or not the silver ions are truly "nano" is not determinative. Under EPA’s current … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Since first being reported in the Washington Post, and relayed here, more information concerning EPA’s proposed regulation of nanosilver under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) has been uncovered.… Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on Rick Weiss reported in yesterday’s Washington Post that the EPA plans to regulate silver nanomaterials used in consumer products as "germ-killing" agents: The decision — which will affect the marketing of high-tech odor-destroying shoe liners, food-storage containers, air fresheners, washing machines and a wide range of other products that contain tiny bacteria-killing particles of silver … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on An October report authored by Michael R. Taylor, Esq., former FDA Deputy Commissioner for Policy (1991-1994) may not be warmly received by all nanomanufacturers. Taylor’s report focuses on what he sees as FDA’s three primary purposes in relation to nanotechnology: (1) ensure product safety; (2) foster innovation; and (3) maintain public confidence in nanoproducts. Taylor … Continue Reading
By Porter Wright on In the September 2006 edition of Nanotechnology Law & Business, two (2) employees of FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (“CDER”) — Nakissa Sadrieh and Parvaneh Espandiari — published “Nanotechnology and the FDA: What Are the Scientific and Regulatory Considerations for Products Containing Nanomaterials?” The article begins with a disclaimer that the authors’ views … Continue Reading
