Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
human.health.or.the.environment,.and.may.restrict.other.nanopesticides.to.ensure.
that.any.potential.risks.do.not.become.unreasonable.consistent.with.EPA's.authority.
under.FIFRA.Section.6(a)(2).
The.inclusion.of.nanoscale.materials.as.inert.ingredients.in.pesticide.formula-
tions.also.raises.interesting.and,.to.date,.unanswered.questions..It.is.not.clear.what.
the.review.process.will.be.for.a.new.inert.ingredient.and/or.the.nanoscale.version.
of.an.existing.inert.ingredient,.what.data.requirements.might.apply,.and.what.pro-
cess.the.OPP.will.use.to.review.these.registered.issues..The.OPP's.Nanotechnology.
Workgroup.is.expected.to.shed.light.on.these.issues.
...
nanotechnology and antimicrobials
In.a.late.2006.regulatory.status.update.that.was.widely.reported.in.the.trade.press,.
OPP.announced.that.it.had.informed.Samsung.Electronics.that.a.silver.ion.generating.
washing.machine,.which.the.company.had.been.marketing.with.claims.that.it.would.
kill.bacteria.on.clothing,.is.subject.to.registration.as.a.pesticide.under.FIFRA.
.The.
OPP. indicated. then. that. a. forthcoming.
Federal Register
. notice. “will. outline. and.
clarify.the.Agency's.position.on.the.classiication.of.machines.that.generate.ions.of.
silver.or.other.substances.for.express.pesticidal.purposes,”.and.that.the.notice.will.
“not.represent.an.action.to.regulate.nanotechnology”.because.the.EPA.“ha[s].not.yet.
received. any. information. that. suggests. [the. Samsung. washing. machine]. involves.
the.use.of.nanomaterial.”
.Should.the.OPP.receive.such.information.in.the.context.
of. a. FIFRA. registration. application,. it. is. expected. that. the. OPP. would. review. the.
application.with.the.same.degree.of.scrutiny.and.scientiic.rigor.that.it.would.apply.
to.any.other.registration.application.submitted.under.FIFRA.Section.3(c)(5),.which.
establishes.the.criteria.for.a.pesticide's.registration.
The.EPA.issued
its.clarifying.notice.on.September.21,.2007.[28]..In.the.notice,.
the.EPA.clariies.that.the.key.distinction.between.pesticides.and.devices.is.whether.
the.pesticidal.activity.of.the.article.is.due.to.physical.or.mechanical.actions,.or.due.to.
a.substance.or.mixture.of.substances..The.EPA.states.that.ion.generating.machines.
that.incorporate.a.substance,.such.as.silver.or.copper,.in.the.form.of.an.electrode,.
and.that.pass.a.current.through.the.electrode.to.release.ions.of.that.substance.for.the.
purpose.of.preventing,.destroying,.repelling,.or.mitigating.a.pest.are.considered.by.
the.EPA.to.be.pesticides.for.FIFRA.purposes,.and.must.be.registered.prior.to.sale.
or.distribution..The.EPA's.notices.set.forth.a.detailed.timeline.for.affected.entities.
to.obtain.appropriate.EPA.approvals.and.revised.labeling,.which.should.be.reviewed.
carefully.to.avoid.enforcement.consequences.
Despite. press. reports. to. the. contrary,. the. ion. generating. debate. is. less. about.
nanopesticides. than. it. is. about. the. EPA's. evolving. thinking. on. what. constitutes. a.
“device”.for.FIFRA.purposes.and.thus.need.not.be.registered.as.a.pesticide.product..
The.OPP.is,.however,.plainly.focusing.on.nanopesticides.and.how.best.to.assert.the.
.See.OPP,.“Regulatory.Status.Update:.Ion.Generating.Washing.Machines”.(December.6,.2006),.avail-
able.at.http://www.epa.gov/oppad001/ion.htm..Shortly.after.OPP.issued.its.announcement,.the.Natural.
Resources.Defense.Council.(NRDC).wrote.to.the.OPP.Director.and.applauded.the.“recent.decision.to.
regulate.the.use.of.nanosilver.as.a.pesticide.under.[FIFRA].”.NRDC.Letter.to.Jim.Jones,.OPP.(Novem-
ber.22,.2006),.Available.at.http://www.nrdc.org/media/docs/061127.pdf.
.See.previous.footnote.and.accompanying.text.
