[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/6108\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EEurope takes the lead on nanotech safety\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the nanoscale, where nanomaterials like carbon nanotubes and nanoparticles are just a tiny fraction of the diameter of a human hair, completely new science takes over. Gold, for example, that familiar shiny, yellow metal, reacts with light differently when in the form of tiny ball-like nanoparticles suspended in a liquid to appear red.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut the novel properties of nanomaterials have a potential flipside. Nanomaterials are so tiny that they can get inside cells if they get into the body, so regulators need to know if workers and consumers could be affected.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEven though nanomaterials are used in very small quantities in products, these tiny particles might leach out during use or when thrown away or recycled. Scientists want to know if nanomaterials can build up in soil and water, harming the environment and wildlife.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENew nanomaterials are being developed at an astonishing rate so the task of understanding and predicting the potential impact of these tiny particles on people and the environment \u2013 and making sure that the products that use them are safe \u2013 is an urgent one.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We will see more complex materials that will be radically different from anything we have seen before,\u2019 said Professor Kenneth Dawson of University College Dublin, who is coordinating the four-year \u003Cspan\u003EFutureNanoNeeds\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003Eproject to explore the next generation of nanomaterials and their potential impact on biological systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The aim is to look into the future and roadmap those materials that will become important,\u2019 he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy looking at safety issues before products are on the market, the FutureNanoNeeds project will help manufacturers introduce nanomaterials with confidence, giving consumers much-needed reassurance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the groups of nanomaterials identified as \u2018one to watch\u2019 is the mineral perovskite, which promises more efficient harvesting of solar energy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlthough it is too early to be sure, Prof. Dawson said the consortium\u2019s investigation has not seen anything yet with perovskites that excites concerns.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt is not a given that nanotechnologies will be more risk-prone than existing or other new technologies. \u2018With proactive planning and foresight, manufacturers will be sure that nanomaterials are safe in advance or, if there is a risk, there will be a plan in place,\u2019 said Prof. Dawson.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn fact, so far the news seems to be promising.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGood news\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018No-one has discovered toxicity yet that is off the scale,\u2019 said Professor \u00c9va Valsami-Jones of the University of Birmingham, UK and coordinator of the EU NanoMILE project.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut because there are so many different and diverse nanomaterials, Professor Valsami-Jones is developing biological ways of testing large numbers of samples simultaneously for toxicological and environmental effects. The beauty of this approach, she said, is that it will identify any effects \u2013 even unexpected ones.\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003E\u2018No-one has discovered toxicity that is off the scale.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EProfessor \u00c9va Valsami-Jones, University of Birmingham, UK\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESo far, although initial results indicate that nanomaterials behave in a distinct way, their toxicology is not radically different.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018As long as (nanomaterials are) within the scale, compared to chemicals we already know about, we just have to be aware.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt means that the best course of action is to make sure that products using nanomaterials are designed in a way that reduces the risks of any possible danger, said Professor Valsami-Jones.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Let\u2019s take the information we have and use it in a way that will enable the safer design of nanoparticles,\u2019 she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis approach is just what the EUR 50 million EU-funded NANoReg project, coordinated by regulatory expert Dr Tom van Teunenbroek from the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, aims to support by streamlining the way in which nanomaterials are assessed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy the time the project is completed in 2016, the plan is to have a common approach for testing the potential risks that nanomaterials might pose for workers, consumers, and the environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA year into the project, the 60-plus strong consortium has started testing in\u0026nbsp;the test tube and in living organisms\u0026nbsp;with similar nanomaterials such as titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, silver nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes. The team\u0027s efforts have already pinpointed gaps in scientific knowledge where more data is needed, and identified where there could be an impact on regulation, said Dr van Teunenbroek.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUrgent\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENanomaterials may be high tech, but they are already being added to construction materials like cement, concrete, insulation panels, flame-retardants, and even pavements. Many of the 14 million construction workers employed in Europe, however, don\u2019t know that they are working with nanomaterials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Information from the raw material manufacturer is often lost,\u2019 said Dr Jes\u00fas L\u00f3pez de Ipi\u00f1a of Tecnalia Research and Innovation in Spain, whose project SCAFFOLD is checking the nanomaterial safety precautions used on construction sites. \u2018As a consequence, it is very difficult for an average construction company to conduct a proper risk assessment and (create) a safe workplace for its employees.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOther key industries like paints, inks, and pigments, where nanomaterials are being introduced now, also need to know the possible risks, says Carlos Fito, coordinator of NanoMICEX based at ITENE, a logistics and packaging research centre in Valencia, Spain.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the last three years, this effort has looked at how to handle some of the most commonly used nanomaterials. With its industrial partners, the project has devised proprietary chemical treatments that reduce toxicity of zinc oxide nanoparticles during the making of paints and inks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EConcerted effort\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese and other projects, such as SANOWORK that is developing safer manufacturing practices and GUIDEnano that has designed a safety checklist for industrial users of nanomaterials, are part of a concerted effort by the European Union to understand and minimise the risks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy encouraging international organisations and institutions to work together on nanomaterial toxicity, risk management, and common regulations, the NanoSafety Cluster aims to take the initiative on what is a global problem.\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-size: 12.7272720336914px; line-height: 1.538em;\u0022\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022moreinfoblock\u0022\u003E\n \u003Ch3\u003ENanoSafety Cluster\u003C\/h3\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EWith a common goal of ensuring that Europe\u2019s consumers can have confidence that manufacturers are introducing nano-based products safely and for the benefit of society, the NanoSafety Cluster brings together the expertise and experience of over 750 international partners.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnder the Seventh Framework Programme, \u003Cspan\u003Ethe EU\u0027s \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cspan\u003E2007 to 2013 research funding programme,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/span\u003Ethe NanoSafety Cluster brought together 48 Europe-wide collaborative projects on nanomaterial toxicity and exposure monitoring, risk management, and regulation, representing a total of EUR\u0026nbsp;177 million in EU funding. The effort continues under Horizon 2020, which runs from 2014 to 2020.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan style=\u0022font-size: 12.7272720336914px; line-height: 1.538em;\u0022\u003EFor further details: \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.nanosafetycluster.eu\u0022 style=\u0022font-size: 12.7272720336914px; line-height: 1.538em;\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.nanosafetycluster.eu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-oh-hootmkm3ypozhtyp-ouqwbvkok4jh8hpdtdqffe8\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-Oh_HootmKm3yPozHtyP_ouqwBvkoK4jh8HpdTdQFFE8\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]