WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency outlined a new research strategy this week for nanomaterials aimed at helping the agency and other regulatory bodies make informed decisions about the impact of the particles, which are increasingly appearing in consumer products.
Nanomaterials are microscopic particles used in consumer products like cosmetics and sunscreen, as well as fabric, sporting goods and technology.
Because of their tiny size, nanomaterials have unique properties that other components don’t. The EPA is focused on determining if those unique properties mean that nanomaterials should be evaluated differently, the agency said.
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The EPA this week outlined what research the agency will support for the next several years on safe use of nanotechnology and products containing nanomaterials. It also detailed projects that will look at how nanotechnology can be used to clean up toxic chemicals in the environment.
The EPA’s primary focus in investigating nanomaterials is to determine potential hazards and to formulate an approach to minimize those risks, the agency said.
Commonly used nanomaterials like titanium dioxide, used in cosmetics and sunscreen, as well as carbon nanotubes, used in sports equipment and electronics, will be subject to the new research protocols.
The strategy was designed to guide the EPA’s research, to provide assistance to scientists with other organizations conducting research and to keep the public informed of how the EPA will use scientific information to guide its approach to nanomaterials.
One of the four goals of the EPA’s Nanotechnology Research Program is to better understand potential risks of nanotechnology on human health. The agency also works to identify the sources of nanomaterials, determine how they are transported through the environment and how people and ecosystems are exposed.
According to the EPA’s Web site, the agency is researching nanotechnology because, “with the use of nanotechnology in the consumer and industrial sectors expected to increase significantly in the future, nanotechnology offers society the promise of major benefits. The challenge for environmental protection is to ensure that, as nanomaterials are developed and used, unintended consequences of exposures to humans and ecosystems are prevented or minimized.”
“The strategy is a guide; a general roadmap for our research program,” a spokesman for the EPA said.
The guide published this week was the final, updated version of a strategy that has been under development since 2007. Moving forward, the strategy is expected to be relevant for the next five years, but changes can be made where appropriate, said an EPA spokesman.
The Food and Drug Administration regulates sunscreens, which are classified as a drug, and has approved sunscreens formulated with nanomaterials. In contrast, cosmetic products aren’t subject to premarket approvals and manufacturers are responsible for determining that the products they sell are safe for consumers. Cosmetic manufacturers are also responsible for incorporating relevant new research about the safety of the ingredients they use, such as nanomaterials, into their production.