Oct 28, 2013

Workshop on 'Grouping and Read-Across for Nanomaterials'

(Nanowerk News) The Nanotechnology Industries Association (NIA) is hosting a workshop on 'Grouping & Read-Across for Nanomaterials', to be held in Brussels (Belgium) on 26 Nov 2013. It will be followed by the Association's Annual General Meeting (attendance for NIA Members only).

Grouping & Read-Across for Nanomaterials symposium

Two years after the European Commission published its ‘Recommendation on the Definition of Nanomaterial’ (for regulatory and policy purposes), which deems an estimated 50% of all commercially-used materials to be ‘nanomaterials’, the stakeholder groups most responsible for the implementation of characterisation and testing are urging a move away from the currently recommended case-by-case analysis of individual nanomaterials to a more efficient and sustainable approach.

This symposium is designed for companies that are working with and commercialising nanomaterials.

These companies are facing an increasing number of regulators’ demands for specific information on nanomaterial safety-testing, characterisation and product approval, without having been given guidance on accepted measurement– and testing-methodologies, or indeed, the particular endpoints that need to be addressed differently than from the bulk material.

This NIA Symposium will provide a discussion platform for exchange between companies and policy makers, in order to allow for a proactive approach in meeting the regulators’ requirements for grouping- and read-across-approaches to nanomaterials, without hampering innovation and commercialisation.

In the course of this symposium, NIA will scope for the best possible way of collaboration, and establish its role as a conduit to the flow of communication and exchange of information.

In order to facilitate this move, several questions are being addressed:

How can nanomaterials be ‘grouped’ or ‘categorised’ so as to:

reduce the number of measurements and tests that need to be performed;

allow for a ‘safety-by-design’ approach; and

identify the relevant Substance Identity (SID)?

Which parameters play a role in the grouping of nanomaterials (i.e. physchem characteristics, hazard profiles, bioavailability, etc.)?

How can ‘read-across’ from the bulk form of a material be applied to a nanomaterial of the same chemical composition (and vice versa)?

Speakers invited to discuss the topics include:

– Andrej Kobe, European Commission, DG ENV

– Wim de Coen, ECHA

– Brad Fisher, Environment Canada

Follow this link to learn more about the event, and this link to register to attend.

Source: Nanotechnology Industries Association