# Shining a (partly shaded) light on nanomaterials that present "substantial risk"

*Published:* 2008-10-31
*Author:* 

*Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.*

[Section 8(e) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)](http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=browse_usc&docid=Cite:+15USC2607) requires any company that manufactures, imports, processes or distributes chemicals in the U.S. to notify EPA within 30 days if it obtains new information that “reasonably supports the conclusion that such substance or mixture presents a [substantial risk](http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/tsca8e/pubs/frequentlyaskedquestionsfaqs.htm#definition) of injury to health or the environment.” Are there Section 8(e) notices for nanomaterials?

EPA posts “sanitized” versions of Section 8(e) notices on its [website](http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/tsca8e/pubs/8eandfyisubmissions.htm), stripped of any information deemed confidential by the submitter – which, as allowed under TSCA, frequently includes the identity of the substance, the submitter or both.

So how many of these “substantial risk” notices have been received for nanomaterials?

EPA provides no ability to search for such documents on its Section 8(e) notice website, so we had to do examine each of EPA’s month-by-month listings. These postings extend from September 2008 back to January 2004 – excluding, for some strange reason, the second half of 2004. (A note that has been on the site for a long time now optimistically states: “Attention: The 2000-2004 submissions will be posted on this page in the near future.”)

Our search found eight Section 8(e) notices that were identified as pertaining to nanomaterials (though there may be others that claimed the nanomaterial identity confidential). Here they are:

**Date  
posted**

**Doc #**

**Substance  
name(s)**

**CAS #(s)**

**Submitter**

**Description**

Aug  
08

[8EHQ- 0808- 17208A](http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/tsca8e/pubs/8ehq/2008/aug08/8ehq_0808_17208a.pdf)Carbon Nano  
TubeConfidentialBASF Chemical CompanyResults of a subchronic inhalation study in rats.Apr  
08

[8EHQ- 0408- 17079B](http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/tsca8e/pubs/8ehq/2008/apr08/8ehq_0408_17079b.pdf)Sepiolite and  
Sepiolite  
nanoclay63800-37-3  
NoneConfidentialSupplemental results from a pulmonary bioassay screening study in rats.Mar  
08

[8EHQ- 0308- 17088A](http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/tsca8e/pubs/8ehq/2008/mar08/8ehq_0308_17088a.pdf)Confidential\*Confidential\*DuPont AirProducts NanoMaterials LLCResults of an acute oral (gavage) toxicity study in female rats.Mar  
08

[8EHQ- 0308- 17109A](http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/tsca8e/pubs/8ehq/2008/mar08/8ehq_0308_17109a.pdf)Multi-walled  
carbon  
nanotubes7782-42-5Arkema Inc.Results of a 5-day repeated-inhalation toxicity test in male rats.Mar  
08

[8EHQ- 0308- 16999B](http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/tsca8e/pubs/8ehq/2008/mar08/8ehq_0308_16999b.pdf)Confidential\*Confidential\*DuPont AirProducts NanoMaterials LLCResults of an acute oral toxicity study in rats.Nov  
07

[8EHQ- 1107- 17000A](http://www.epa.gov/oppt/tsca8e/pubs/8ehq/2007/nov07/8ehq_1107_17000a.pdf)Amorphous  
silica and  
Tetramethyl-  
ammonium  
hydroxide7631-86-9 and  
75-59-2DuPont AirProducts NanoMaterials LLCResults of an acute dermal toxicity study in rats.Nov  
07

[8EHQ- 1107- 16999A](http://www.epa.gov/oppt/tsca8e/pubs/8ehq/2007/nov07/8ehq_1107_16999a.pdf)Amorphous  
silica and  
Tetramethyl-  
ammonium  
hydroxide7631-86-9 and  
75-59-2DuPont AirProducts NanoMaterials LLCResults of an acute dermal toxicity study in rats.Jul  
07

[8EHQ- 0707- 16911A](http://www.epa.gov/oppt/tsca8e/pubs/8ehq/2007/jul07/8ehq_0707_16911a_8807000000329.pdf)Surface-  
modified  
nanoparticleConfidential3M CompanyPreliminary data from a 2-week repeated-inhalation toxicity study in rats.\* While the listing indicates this information is confidential, the company’s notice indicates it pertains, as do the other DuPont notices, to a mixture containing amorphous silica.In [my next post](http://blogs.edf.org/nanotechnology/2008/10/31/yes-virginia-inhaled-carbon-nanotubes-do-cause-lung-granulomas/), I’ll look more closely at the Section 8(e) notices EPA has received for carbon nanotubes.