VCI's conclusions and recommendations on health assessment, exposure and environmental effects of nanomaterials

The results of the safety research on nanomaterials are difficult to summarize and assess. Therefore, the German Chemical Industry Association VCI had suggested to carry out comprehensive literature reviews on the topic. VCI wrapped up its summary of the results so far in an updated paper. One conclusion: There is no reason to fear that there are not enough scientific findings about the safety of nanomaterials. Another point: The small size of nanomaterials per se is not at all connected with an increased risk for health and environment.

Current scientific reviews assess the available literature of recent years on safety research into nanomaterials. These reviews address central scientific publications on the safety of (engineered) nanomaterials (NM / ENM) and environmental and health effects including specificities of action, toxicological methods, genotoxicity (in vivo/in vitro) and exposure and environmental effects and eco-toxicology of NM and ENM (mechanisms of the fate of particles in the environment, taking into account potential release paths).

In an updated paper, the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI) derives the conclusions and recommendations from these reviews. The content:

• Results from literature reviews
• Conclusions and consequences for the safety and the regulatory framework for nanomaterials
• General recommendations on safety research
• Recommendations for projects for "safety research into nanomaterials" from industry's viewpoint

Please find the full paper, comprising 12 pages, in the download section at the top of this page.

Access to three of the literature reviews covered:

• Harald F. Krug: “Nanosafety Research — Are We on the Right Track?; Angewandte Chemie Intern. Ed., Special Issue: Nanotechnology & Nanomaterials, Nanotoxicology & Nanomedicine, Vol. 53, Issue 46, pp 12304–12319, Nov. 10, 2014
• Stephan Wagner, Andreas Gondikas, Elisabeth Neubauer, Thilo Hofmann und Frank von der Kammer: „Spot the Difference: Engineered and Natural Nanoparticles in the Environment – Release, Behavior, and Fate“; Angew. Chemie Intern. Ed., Vol. 53, Issue 46, pp 12398–12419, November 10, 2014
• Lars Michael Skjolding, Sara Nørgaard Sørensen, Nanna Bloch Hartmann, Rune Hjorth, Steffen Foss Hansen, Anders Baun, A Critical Review of Aquatic Ecotoxicity Testing of Nanoparticles – The Quest for Disclosing Nanoparticle Effects, Angewandte Chemie Intern. Ed., accepted for publication June 2016