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Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.
You may have noticed some subtle changes to the look of this page. That’s because EDF has decided to expand the focus of this blog to include the policy, legislative, regulatory and scientific issues surrounding the health and environmental impacts of chemicals, as well as nanomaterials. (more…)
Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.
In a previous post, I argued that the European Union’s REACH Regulation for chemicals goes a long way to address the regulatory needs for nanomaterials – despite the fact that REACH never mentions nano and was not developed with nano in mind. I also noted, however, that REACH will clearly need more than fine-tuning to ensure adequate nano oversight. Apparently at least some in the European Parliament agree. (more…)
Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.
Some months ago, my colleague John Balbus posted here about studies finding that when multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are injected into the abdominal cavities of mice, they induce inflammation and mesothelioma-like reactions similar to those caused by asbestos. He appropriately cautioned that – among other critical questions – these studies had not demonstrated that inhaled MWCNTs could actually move out of the lung and into the tissues where asbestos gives rise to its effects. Well, that particular dot now appears to have been connected. (more…)
Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.
As one who has closely followed the emergence of nanotechnology, I am sure I was not alone several years ago in welcoming what appeared to be a refreshingly new attitude among a broad range of stakeholders toward the introduction of this new set of technologies and materials. Calls from my organization to “get nanotech right the first time” were echoed widely. Perhaps the most frequently used metaphor, though, was that a “window of opportunity” had opened to do things differently this time. But I increasingly fear that the window is closing. (more…)
Cal Baier-Anderson, Ph.D., is a Health Scientist.
In May 2008, the International Center for Technology Assessment (ICTA) submitted a petition to EPA requesting that it regulate nano-silver used in products as a pesticide under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The petition calls on EPA to take the following specific actions:
Richard Denison, Ph.D., is a Senior Scientist.
It had to happen sooner or later. After several years spent by the UK and US governments conceptualizing, vetting, proposing, again vetting, developing, yet again vetting, and finally launching and reporting on their voluntary reporting programs for engineered nanoscale materials – only to have them largely spurned by the intended targets – other governments observing all this have decided that mandatory approaches are needed. (more…)
