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The production and use of nanoparticles leads to the emission of manufactured or engineered nanoparticles into the environment. Those particles undergo many possible reactions and interactions in the environment they are exposed to. These reactions and the resulting behavior and fate of nanoparticles in the environment have been studied for decades through naturally occurring nanoparticulate (1-100 nm) and colloidal (1-1000 nm) substances. The knowledge gained from these investigations is nowhere near sufficiently complete to create a detailed model of the

The present review covers developments in studies of nanomaterials (NMs) in the environment since our much cited review in 2008. We discuss novel insights into fate and behavior, metrology, transformations, bioavailability, toxicity mechanisms, and environmental impacts, with a focus on terrestrial and aquatic systems. Overall, the findings were that: 1) despite substantial developments, critical gaps remain, in large part due to the lack of analytical, modeling, and field capabilities, and also due to the breadth and complexity of the area

The German Environment Agency (UBA) webpage on advanced materials highlights UBA´s current preparatory research and thematic conferences on advanced materials. It reflects UBA´s opinion with regard to potential challenges and needs connected to advanced materials from the perspective of chemical safety, i.e. as summarized in a joint perspective paper on good governance developed by the higher federal authorities the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) and the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) and UBA.

The German Environment Agency (UBA) webpage on nanotechnology indicates its activities and opinions as well as research efforts with regard to adequate regulation and safety assessment of manufactured nanomaterials and highlights relevant topics, actors, programs and networks including providing relevant links. Current research supervised by UBA is presented and finalized research is published as reports at this webpage.

The webpage presents OECD`s activities with regard to safety of manufactured nanomaterials starting back in 2006. By this, OECD intends to promote international co-operation in human health and environmental safety aspects of manufactured nanomaterials. The website provides publications developed within the OECD Working Party of Manufactured Nanomaterials, reports of previous workshops, projects and testing programs, the OECD council recommendation on safety testing and assessment of manufactured nanomaterials, but also videos of webinars on dedicated topics. Currently, one of the main

The Secretariat of the Strategic Approach to Chemicals Management (SAICM) and the University of Cape Town (UCT) have launched a Community of Practice (CoP) on Chemicals and SDGs to bring representatives from different sectors together and to create a learning network around issues related to addressing Chemicals and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is a summary of the discussion on Innovation for achieving the Chemical related SDGs, which took place on 26 October 2021.Presenters: Dr. Claudio Cinquemani (ISC3), Dr

A GEF-funded (Global Environment Facility) project on “Global best practices on emerging chemical policy issues of concern under SAICM” was launched in 2019, targeting Sri Lanka amongst other countries. The activities under the project include a focus on tracking and controlling chemicals along the value chains of the building and construction sector. To that end, a team from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) have been working with stakeholders in Sri Lanka on identifying chemicals of concern in the construction material

The development of plastic products does not systematically take sustainability, particularly from a chemicals perspective, into account. This report seeks to enable the creation of inherently sustainable plastic products by integrating sustainable chemistry thinking in the design process. By applying a chemicals lens during the plastic material selection process, designers and engineers can make informed decisions to incorporate sustainable plastic during the conceptualisation phase of their products. The report provides an integrated approach to sustainable plastic selection from a chemicals

Chemicals used in building materials can be a major passive emission source indoors, associated with the deterioration of indoor environmental quality. This study aims to screen the various chemicals used in building materials for potential near-field human exposures and related health risks, identifying chemicals and products of concern to inform risk reduction efforts. We propose a mass balance-based and high-throughput suited model for predicting chemical emissions from building materials considering indoor sorption. Using this model, we performed a screening-level human

AbstractBackgroundExisting models for estimating children’s exposure to chemicals through mouthing currently depends on the availability of chemical- and material-specific experimental migration rates, only covering a few dozen chemicals.ObjectiveThis study objective is hence to develop a mouthing exposure model to predict migration into saliva, mouthing exposure, and related health risk from a wide range of chemical-material combinations in children’s products.MethodsWe collected experimental data on chemical migration from different products into saliva for multiple substance groups and materials, identifying chemical concentration and