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US EPA asks for public comments on nanosilver petition
The US Environmental Protection Agency published a Notice of Availability in the Federal Register, making available for public review and comments a petition for rulemaking and collateral relief, filed by the International Center for Technology Assessment (ICTA) and others.
The notice entitled ‘Petition for Rulemaking Requesting EPA Regulate Nanoscale Silver Products as Pesticides’ states that, ‘in general, the petition requests that the Agency classify nanoscale silver as a pesticide, require formal pesticideregistration of all products containing nanoscale silver, analyze the potential human health and environmental risks of nanoscale silver, take regulatory actions under the Federal Insecticide,Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) against existing products that contain nanoscale silver, and take other regulatory actions under FIFRA as appropriate for nanoscale silver products. The Agency has determined that the petition raises issues that potentially affect private and public sector stakeholders. Through this notice, EPA is asking for public comment on the petition.’
Comments must be received by the 20th January 2008.
Registered Members of the NIA will soon be able to download legal commenst and background information on the nanosilver petition from the
‘Members only’-area of the NIA website.
Related Links
The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN)at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington D.C., published a report discussing the environmental impact of silver nanoparticles. (9th September 2008)
In just one day, the Los Angeles Times dedicated three articles to the debate on the use on nanosilver as an antibacterial. (4th August 2008)
The US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) has published a statement clarifying its competence to regulate products containing nanoscale materials, and its ongoing activities to do so. (22nd July 2008)
A coalition of consumer protection, health and environmental groups, led by the Washington-based International Center for Technology Assessment (CTA), filed a legal petition with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), demanding the agency to halt the sale of consumer products containing silver nanoparticles. (1st May 2008)
Researchers from the University of Missouri have raised concern about a potential increase of anti-microbial silver particles in waste water, caused by the growing incorporation of silver particles into consumer products. (29th April 2008)
Researchers form Arizona State University recommended better standards for products containing silver nanoparticles, since simple leeching experiments in distilled water had shown that some anti-odor socks allegedly impregnated with silver nanoparticles, rapidly released their silver-content, while others caused no release at all. (7th April 2008)
The US Environment protection Agency (EPA) has fined a Southern California technology company US$208,000 for 'nano coating' pesticide claims on computer peripherals. (5th March 2008)
The NTP (US National Toxicology Programme) continuously solicits and accepts nominations for toxicological studies to be undertaken by the program. Along with several other substances, NTP is requesting comments on the need to study nanoscale gold and silver. (29th March 2007)