Workshop Summary: Research Progress on Environmental, Health, and Safety Aspects of Nanotechnology - Research Progress on Environmental Health and Safety Aspects of Engineered Nanomaterials - page 92

Sri Nadadur, NIEHS, discussed research funding, including the NIEHS Centers for
Nanotechnology Health Implications Research (an interdisciplinary program that comprises five U19 2
and three cooperative centers and other grantees and is intended to learn how the “properties of ENMs
influence their interactions with biologic systems and potential health risks) and the Nano Grand
Opportunity Consortium (whose major goals are to develop reliable and reproducible assays, methods,
and models that can be used to predict exposure and biologic response to ENMs in different systems and
laboratories)” (NIEHS 2012). He also described the National Toxicology Program (NTP) EHS
nanotechnology research efforts. Dr. Nadadur related how the Chemical Effects in Biological Systems
database is being used to integrate and share EHS nanotechnology data generated by the NIEHS and
NTP research programs.
Paul Schulte, NIOSH, commented that workers are the first people to be exposed to
nanomaterials. He described a recently released report, Filling the Knowledge Gaps for Safe
Nanotechnology in the Workplace (NIOSH 2012), that documents research progress. Dr. Schulte
discussed how the research priorities outlined in the committee's first report align with NIOSH initiatives.
For example, regarding the quantification and characterization of the origins of nanomaterial releases, Dr.
Schulte commented that NIOSH is conducting field assessments for a variety of scenarios, including
where materials are manufactured. Committee members discussed NIOSH's focus on more typical
materials (for example, nanosilver), and Dr. Schulte said that the agency is trying to be more aggressive in
investigating them.
There was some discussion regarding the generation of large quantities of data resulting from
various federal research efforts and how to integrate the data. Committee members questioned whether
there is a cross-agency effort to synthesize EHS nanotechnology data. Dr. Tinkle responded that there are
efforts to coordinate planning but no collective effort in interpretation of data, which is left to the
academic community. Another member rephrased the question in terms of the committee's desire to
understand outcomes of federally funded research, and Dr. Tinkle responded that the NNI is looking at
metrics for assessing funding programs but does not have the answers yet.
Perspectives of Stakeholders
In this session, representatives of academe, industry, labor, and environmental groups provided
their perspectives on the extent of research progress and the effectiveness of stakeholder engagement in
developing and implementing needed research. Consumers do not know which products that they use
contain nanomaterials, and workers do not know that they may be exposed to nanomaterials in the
workplace. Those comments were expressed by Carolyn Cairns, Consumers Union, and Anna Fendley,
United Steel Workers, when addressing the needs of the stakeholders with whom they work. Ms. Cairns
emphasized the need for linkages between research and policy. Similarly, Ms. Fendley discussed the need
for better sharing of information with workers and the need to disseminate and apply information in
research strategies among those who are potentially exposed. Robert (Skip) Rung, Oregon Nanoscience
and Microtechnologies Institute (an economic-development organization), echoed the need for more
attention to workers, given that they receive the greatest exposures. Mr. Rung expressed concern about
continued regulatory uncertainty and stated that an option for companies would be to move their
operations outside the United States. Seth Coe-Sullivan, a member of the committee and founder and
chief technology officer of QD Vision, pointed out the need for an approach to determine what tools are
needed to inform stakeholders better and to move development of the technologies forward. Dr. Coe-
Sullivan, picking up on comments by Mr. Alwood, recognized that a case-by-case approach for regulating
2 U19 is part the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Centers for Nanotechnology Health
Implications Research. It is an interdisciplinary program that comprises five U19 and three cooperative centers and
other grantees and is intended to increase understanding of how the properties of ENMs influence their interactions
with biologic systems and potential health risks.