Health Canada launches Definition of Nanomaterials

Released on Wednesday 3rd March 2010

Health Canada has announced the adoption of an Interim Policy Statement on Health Canada's Working Definition for Nanomaterials.

According to the statement on the Heath Canada website, ‘the Acts and Regulations [currently] administered by Health Canada have no explicit reference to nanomaterial. Among four key objectives, this policy statement establishes a transparent working means of identifying nanomaterials.  It will also provide Health Canada with a consistent set of approaches across the department and a trigger to request information.  Given the range of nanomaterial-related regulatory responsibilities at Health Canada, the working definition is intentionally broad and will be applied more specifically in each regulatory program area.’

The Interim Policy is effective immediately, but comments and suggestions on this policy statement are invited and being collected until the 31st August 2010, so that it may be updated as necessary.

The key objectives of the Heath Canada Interim Policy statement are to:

  • Establish a working means of identifying nanomaterials;
  • Assist Health Canada to collect information and establish internal inventories regarding products, materials, substances, ingredients, devices, systems or structures that are, contain, or make use of nanomaterials;
  • Support communications about nanomaterials with the broader community of interested stakeholders; and,
  • Support the administration of the legislative and regulatory frameworks under the authority of Health Canada and to help further the development of policy, guidance and programs applicable to nanomaterials.

Health Canada’s Working Definition of Nanomaterials:

Health Canada considers any manufactured product, material, substance, ingredient, device, system or structure to be nanomaterial if:
  • It is at or within the nanoscale in at least one spatial dimension, or;
  • It is smaller or larger than the nanoscale in all spatial dimensions and exhibits one or more nanoscale phenomena.
  • For the purposes of this definition:
  • The term “nanoscale” means 1 to 100 nanometres, inclusive;
  • The term “nanoscale phenomena” means properties of the product, material, substance, ingredient, device, system or structure which are attributable to its size and distinguishable from the chemical or physical properties of individual atoms, individual molecules and bulk material; and,
  • The term “manufactured” includes engineering processes and control of matter and processes at the nanoscale.

Comments and suggestions should be sent to nanotechnologies@hc-sc.gc.ca by the 31st August 2010.

Follow these links to find out more about the announcement, or to read the full Interim Policy.

 
Related Links:
... and a continuing focus on carbon nanotubes, nano-Silver, and TiO2 [...] in Canada, we are still waiting for the publication of the ‘Data Survey on Nanomaterials’, which Environment Canada and Health Canada had initially announced for September 2008. (31st January 2010)
 
NIA Weekly Update - 2/2009 (2nd August 2009):
in this issue:
  • Product Case-Studies to be discussed at 3rd ‘Nanotechnology Safety-for-Success Dialogue’-Conference
  • Global Cosmetics Regulations: New Work items for ICCR3 agreed
  • OECD Policy Round Table
  • European Commission forms new Scientific Committee(s) on Nanotechnology
In April 2009, the Regulatory Governance Initiative (RGI) at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada published a report entitled ‘International Approaches to the Regulatory Governance of Nanotechnology’.  (14th May 2009)
 
Topical Briefings:
7th January 2009: Canada about to launch Data Surveys on Nanomaterials
(kindly provided with the help of the Nanotechnology Team at Beveridge & Diamond P.C.)
 
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