(NHI Nanoblog) The European Commission has released a draft recommendation on how to define “nanomaterial,” taking at least a small step in a process that is bedeviling regulators worldwide.
The proposal, which is open for public comment until Nov. 19, basically defines a nanoparticle as something containing particles between the sizes of 1 and 100 nanometers (one nanometer is a billionth of a meter). It’s broad, and encompasses internal surface structure and other basic properties.
Why is this important? Because international efforts to begin regulating nanotechnology have to start with spelling out exactly what’s being regulated, and that’s been a challenge. That’s mostly because “nanotechnology” is, in itself, difficult to pin down. Fundamentally, it’s about harnessing the useful properties that emerge when you take some materials down to the super-small level. But there’s no one field, since nanotechnology can mean anything from using tiny gold particles to fight cancer to using super-strong carbon nanotubes to reinforce steel.
This has presented a problem for scientists (and journalists, too!). As Paul Howard of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s National Center for Toxicology Research noted in a talk last week, defining nano-related things could just muddy the waters. He said that if his agency were to adopt the 1 – 100 nanometer standard (the one included in the EC draft), there would almost certainly be people who wanted to challenge it.
The basic principle of nanotechnology, of course, is that size is destiny — without the small scale, it’s not “nano.” And it’s increasingly apparent that within the 1 – 100 nanometer scale, size matters even more, since there’s a growing body of research showing that particles on the smaller end of the scale are easier for the body to deal with.
But from a regulatory perspective — especially in the U.S., where a salad bowl of agencies can all claim a piece of the regulatory framework — the underlying material is also hugely important. Nano-sized carbon is fundamentally different than nanosilver, although both are distinct from their larger parent substance. And scientists just aren’t sure yet whether the various differences mean something bad for people, animals and the environment.
That said, the Europeans are generally regarded as leaders in the effort to understand, and regulate, nanotechnology. So keep an eye on this draft, since it may blaze a trail for American efforts.
