Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
•
Intra-Agency Workgroup.
.The.EPA.should.convene.a.standing.intra-agency.
group.to.foster.information.sharing.on.nanotechnology.science.and.policy.
issues.
Training.
.The.EPA.should.continue.and.expand.its.nanotechnology.training.
activities.for.scientists.and.managers.[24].
•
According.to.the.White.Paper,.as.new.generations.of.nanomaterials.evolve,.so.
will.new.and.possibly.unforeseen.environmental.issues..The.White.Paper.states.that.
it.will.be.crucial.that.the.EPA's.“approaches.to.leveraging.the.beneits.and.assessing.
the.impacts.of.nanomaterials.continue.to.evolve.in.parallel.with.the.expansion.of.and.
advances.in.these.new.technologies”.[24].
...
tsCa PMn decision logic
The. EPA's. OPPT. has. developed. and. continues. to. reference. a. decision. logic. that.
OPPT. staff. applies. in. assessing. engineered. nanoscale. materials. that. are. chemical.
substances,.when.those.nanoscale.materials.are.reported.to.the.EPA.either.under.the.
PMN.provision.of.TSCA,.or.as.exemption.applications.therefrom..Use.of.the.deci-
sion.logic.is.resulting.in.EPA's.identiication.of.speciic.areas.of.inquiry.unique.to.
engineered.nanoscale.materials.that.are.chemical.substances..Primary.among.these.
areas.are.potential.routes.of.exposure.to.workers.and.potential.environmental.releases.
of.these.materials..The.EPA.is.assessing.the.adequacy.of.PPE.to.prevent.potential.
exposures.to.engineered.nanoscale.materials.during.the.manufacturing,.processing,.
and/or.distribution.and.use.of.these.materials..The.EPA's.decision.logic.is.believed.to.
distinguish.between.“true”.engineered.nanoscale.materials,.meaning.those.that.meet.
the.criteria.set.out.by.the.National.Nanotechnology.Initiative.(NNI),.and.those.mate-
rials.that.fall.within.the.size.range.of.1.to.100.nm.but.are.not.speciically.engineered.
with.the.intent.to.enable.novel,.size-dependent.properties..According.to.published.
sources,. the. EPA. has,. as. of. August. 2006,. reviewed. 15. new. chemicals. that. were.
deemed.to.fall.within.the.“nanoscale”.size.range,.only.one.of.which,.siloxane-coated.
alumina. nanoparticles,. the. EPA. believed. possessed. properties. deemed. “unique.”
.
According.to.EPA.sources,.the.siloxane-coated.alumina.nanoparticles.will.have.non-
dispersive.uses.as.an.additive.to.other.chemical.substances.
.
the FedeRal inseCtiCide, FungiCide,
and RodentiCide aCt (FiFRa)
4.2.1 FiFra s
tatutOry
and
r
egulatOry
b
aCkgrOund
The.EPA.recognizes.that.there.are.many.promising.agricultural.and.antimicrobial.
applications. of. nanotechnologies.and. nanoscale. substances.. Nanosensors. offer. the.
promise.of.real-time.pathogen.detection/location.reporting.using.nanotechnologies.
.Pat. Phibbs-Rizzuto,. EPA. Reviews. 15. New. Nanoscale. Chemicals,. but. Finds. Only. One. with. Unique.
Properties,.158.Daily.Env't.Rep..(BNA).A-7.(Aug..16,.2006)..On.August.14,.2006,.EPA.issued.a.notice.
acknowledging. receipt. of. a. notice. of. commencement. of. manufacture. or. import. of. siloxane-coated.
alumina.nanoparticles.pursuant.to.TSCA.Section.5..71.Fed..Reg.,.46475,.46480.(Aug..14,.2006).
