Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
To.be.considered.a.“hazardous.substance”.under.the.FHSA,.a.consumer.product.must.
satisfy.a.two-part.deinition:.(1).it.must.be.toxic.under.the.FHSA,.and.(2).it.must.have.
the.potential.to.cause.“substantial.personal.injury.during.or.substantial.illness.during.
or.as.a.proximate.result.of.any.customary.or.reasonably.foreseeable.handling.or.use.”.
Therefore,. according. to. the. Statement,. exposure. and. the. subsequent. risk. must. be.
considered.in.addition.to.toxicity.when.assessing.potential.hazards.under.the.FHSA..
The. CPSC. assesses. chronic. toxicity. data. using. the. federal. regulations. summariz-
ing. the. guidelines. for. determining. chronic. toxicity. at. 16. C.F.R.. Section. 1500.135..
The.CPSC.Nanomaterial.Statement.states.that.the.CPSC.“is.currently.reviewing.and.
updating.the.chronic.hazard.guidelines.to.address,.among.other.things,.nanomaterial.
use.in.consumer.products.”
The.Statement.also.says:
“Because. of. the. wide. variation. in. potential. health. effects. and. the. dearth. of. data. on.
exposure.and.toxicity.data.of.speciic.nanomaterials,.CPSC.staff.is.unable.to.make.any.
general.statements.about.the.potential.consumer.exposures.to,.or.the.health.effects.that.
may.result.from.exposure.to.nanomaterials.during.consumer.use.and.disposal.”
According.to.the.CPSC,.identifying.any.potential.health.hazards.from.a.speciic.prod-
uct.“will.require.characterization.of.the.materials.to.which.a.consumer.is.exposed.
during. product. use,. including. assessment. of. the. size. distribution. of. the. materials.
released.”.The.CPSC.states.that.once.the.exposure.has.been.characterized,.“toxico-
logical.data.that.[are].appropriate.for.the.particle.sizes.represented.in.the.exposure.
assessment.will.be.used.in.any.assessment.of.health.risks.”
The.CPSC.is.involved.in.federal.and.private.initiatives.addressing.the.production.
and.use.of.nanomaterials,.including.the.National.Science.and.Technology.Council's.
Subcommittee.on.Nanoscale.Science,.Engineering,.and.Technology.and.Interagency.
Working. Group. on. Nanotechnology. Environmental. and. Health. Implications,. the.
American.National.Standards.Institute,.ASTM.International,.and.the.International.
Life.Sciences.Institute..The.activities.of.these.groups,.according.to.the.CPSC.Nano-
material. Statement,. include. promoting. responsible. research. and. development. of.
nanomaterials.that.can.be.used.in.consumer.products.and.providing.information.on.
new.products.that.are.being.introduced.into.the.market..The.Statement.is.available.
on.the.Internet.at.http://www.cpsc.gov/library/cpscnanostatement.pdf.
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With.federal.regulations.speciic.to.engineered.nanoscale.materials.neither.in.place.
nor. expected. anytime. soon,. states. and. municipalities. are. starting. to. assert. juris-
diction. over. the. nanotechnology. industry.. On. December. 12,. 2006,. the. Berkeley,.
California,. City. Council,. acting. on. the. recommendation. of. the. city's. Community.
Environmental. Advisory. Commission. (CEAC),. unanimously. adopted. an. ordi-
nance.that.requires.businesses.to.report.nanoparticles.being.used,.provide.available.
