Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
...
issue: the national enironmental Policy act (nePa)
The.Task.Force.recommends.that.the.FDA.take.the.following.actions:
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Take. into. account,. on. a. case-by-case. basis,. whether. an. FDA-regulated.
product.containing.nanoscale.materials.qualiies.for.an.existing.categorical.
exclusion.and.whether.extraordinary.circumstances.exist.
Designate.a.lead.within.the.FDA.to.coordinate.the.FDA's.approach.to.its.
obligations.under.NEPA.regarding.nanotechnology.
•
. the national institute FoR oCCuPational
saFetY and health (niosh)
The. National. Institute. for. Occupational. Safety. and. Health. (NIOSH). is. deeply.
engaged.in.scientiic.research.and.development.activities.pertinent.to.nanotechnolo-
gies,.and.has.been.particularly.proactive.in.identifying.research.needs.and.helping.to.
ill.them..NIOSH.maintains.an.exceptionally.well-designed.website.devoted.exclu-
sively.to.nanotechnology.
One. of. the. most. useful. NIOSH. initiatives. is. the. issuance. of. an. updated. ver-
sion. of. its. October. 2005. document. entitled.
Approaches to Safe Nanotechnology:
An Information Exchange with NIOSH
.. NIOSH. intends. the. document. to. review.
what.is.currently.known.about.nanoparticle.toxicity.and.control.but.notes.that.it.“is.
only.a.starting.point.”.According.to.NIOSH,.the.document.serves.as.a.request.from.
NIOSH.to.occupational.safety.and.health.practitioners,.researchers,.product.innova-
tors.and.manufacturers,.employers,.workers,.interest.group.members,.and.the.gen-
eral.public.“to.exchange.information.that.will.ensure.that.no.worker.suffers.material.
impairment.of.safety.or.health.as.nanotechnology.develops..Opportunities.to.provide.
feedback.and.information.are.available.throughout.this.document.”.The.document.
is. available. on. the. Internet. at. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/nanotech/safenano/
pdfs/approaches_to_safe_nanotechnology.pdf.
A.summary.of.indings.and.key.recommendations.includes.the.following:
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Nanomaterials.have.the.greatest.potential.to.enter.the.body.if.they.are.in.the.
form. of. nanoparticles,. agglomerates. of. nanoparticles,. and. particles. from.
nanostructured.materials.that.become.airborne.or.come.into.contact.with.
the.skin.
Based.on.results.from.human.and.animal.studies,.airborne.nanomaterials.
can.be.inhaled.and.deposited.in.the.respiratory.tract;.and.based.on.animal.
studies,.nanoparticles.can.enter.the.bloodstream,.and.translocate.to.other.
organs.
Experimental. studies. in. rats. have. shown. that. equivalent. mass. doses. of.
insoluble. ultraine. particles. (smaller. than. 100. nm). are. more. potent. than.
large.particles.of.similar.composition.in.causing.pulmonary.inlammation.
and. lung. tumors. in. those. laboratory. animals.. Toxicity. may. be. mitigated.
•
•
.See.http://www.cdc.niosh.gov/niosh/topics/nanotech.
