Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
To.explore.these.opportunities.in.greater.detail,.the.EPA.convened.a.conference.
in. September. 2007. entitled. “Pollution. Prevention. through. Nanotechnology.”
. The.
conference. provided. an. opportunity. to. exchange. ideas. and. information. on. using.
nanotechnology. to. develop. new. ways. to. prevent. pollution.. Representatives. from.
industry,.academia,.nongovernmental.organizations,.and.government.discussed.cur-
rent. practices. and. potential. research. areas. in. nanotechnology. that. incorporate. the.
concept. of. pollution. prevention. in. three. major. areas:. (1). products:. less. toxic,. less.
polluting,.and.wear-resistant;.(2).processes:.more.eficient.and.waste-reducing;.and.
(3).energy.and.resource.eficiency:.processes.and.products.that.use.less.energy.and.
fewer.raw.materials.
The.intent.of.the.conference.was.to.address.which.nanotechnologies.show.the.
greatest.promise.for.preventing.pollution,.the.most.promising.areas.of.research.on.pol-
lution.prevention.applications.of.nanotechnologies,.and.ways.to.promote.and.encour-
age.pollution.prevention.in.the.development.and.application.of.nanotechnology.
. the FedeRal Food, dRug, and CosMetiC aCt (FedCa)
The.U.S..Food.and.Drug.Administration.(FDA).regulates.a.wide.range.of.products.
under. the. Federal. Food,. Drug,. and. Cosmetic. Act. (FFDCA),. including. foods,. cos-
metics,. drugs,. devices,. and. veterinary. products,. some. of. which. may. utilize. nano-
technology.or.contain.nanomaterials..The.FDA.has.not.established.its.own.formal.
deinition.of.“nanotechnology,”.although.the.FDA.participated.in.the.development.of.
the.NNI.deinition.of.“nanotechnology,”.as.did.many.other.agencies..Using.that.dei-
nition,.nanotechnology.relevant.to.the.FDA.might.include.research.and.technology.
development.that.both.satisies.the.NNI.deinition.and.relates.to.a.product.regulated.
by.the.FDA.
To. facilitate. the. regulation. of. nanotechnology. products,. the. FDA. has. formed.
a. NanoTechnology. Interest. Group. (NTIG). composed. of. representatives. from. all.
FDA.Centers..The.NTIG.meets.quarterly.to.ensure.there.is.effective.communication.
between.the.Centers..Most.of.the.Centers.also.have.working.groups.that.establish.the.
network.between.their.different.components..There.are.also.a.wide.range.of.products.
involving.nanotechnologies.which.are.regulated.by.other.federal.agencies.
In.2006,.the.FDA.also.formed.a.Nanotechnology.Task.Force..The.Task.Force.
is. tasked. with. determining. regulatory. approaches. that. encourage. the. responsible.
development.of.FDA-regulated.products.that.use.nanotechnology.
On.July.25,.2007,.the.Nanotechnology.Task.Force.issued.a.report.that.addresses.
regulatory. and. scientiic. issues,. and. offered. recommendations. for. each.. The. Task.
Force.recommended.that.the.FDA.consider.developing.speciic.guidance.for.manu-
facturers.and.researchers,.including.guidance.to.clarify.what.information.should.be.
provided.to.the.FDA.about.products,.and.when.the.use.of.nanoscale.materials.may.
change.the.regulatory.status.of.particular.products..In.its.press.release.announcing.
the. availability. of. the. Task. Force. report,. the. FDA. stated. that,. as. with. other. FDA.
guidance,.“draft.guidance.documents.would.be.made.available.for.public.comment.
prior. to. being. inalized.”. The. Task. Force. also. recommended. that. the. FDA. work.
..See.http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/nano/scope.htm.
