Nanotubes Deemed Different From Carbon

Summary posted by Meridian on 11/4/2008
Source: Chemical & Engineering News
Author: Britt E. Erickson

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has restated its position that carbon nanotubes are chemically distinct from graphite and other forms of carbon, reemphasizing that carbon nanotubes are considered new substances under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The article says that, under TSCA, carbon nanotube manufacturers and imports must submit toxicity data to the EPA before they can use or import carbon nanotubes for commercial purposes. According to the article, the EPA decided to clarify its position on carbon nanotubes, which it established in 2007, because it sensed “confusion among the nanotech industry .” Richard A. Denison of the U.S. nonprofit organization Environmental Defense Fund said that the EPA’s notice indicates that manufacturers are not currently complying with the law, saying, “I am dismayed by EPA's lax approach to enforcement of what is a basic violation of federal law.” Andrew D. Maynard of the U.S. nonprofit Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies further said that the EPA currently does not address nanoscale materials other than carbon nanotubes despite studies indicating that some of those materials may be toxic. The article says that the EPA’s position on carbon nanotubes is consistent with that of the European Union’s Registration, Evaluation & Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) program. The article can be viewed online at the link below.

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our team contact us site map	Nanotubes Deemed Different From Carbon Summary posted by Meridian on 11/4/2008 Source: Chemical & Engineering News Author: Britt E. Erickson The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has restated its position that carbon nanotubes are chemically distinct from graphite and other forms of carbon, reemphasizing that carbon nanotubes are considered new substances under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The article says that, under TSCA, carbon nanotube manufacturers and imports must submit toxicity data to the EPA before they can use or import carbon nanotubes for commercial purposes. According to the article, the EPA decided to clarify its position on carbon nanotubes, which it established in 2007, because it sensed “confusion among the nanotech industry .” Richard A. Denison of the U.S. nonprofit organization Environmental Defense Fund said that the EPA’s notice indicates that manufacturers are not currently complying with the law, saying, “I am dismayed by EPA's lax approach to enforcement of what is a basic violation of federal law.” Andrew D. Maynard of the U.S. nonprofit Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies further said that the EPA currently does not address nanoscale materials other than carbon nanotubes despite studies indicating that some of those materials may be toxic. The article says that the EPA’s position on carbon nanotubes is consistent with that of the European Union’s Registration, Evaluation & Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) program. The article can be viewed online at the link below. The original article may still be available at pubs.acs.org/cen/news/86/i45/8645notw6.html As tagged by Meridian Institute: Implications: Governance Nanomaterials: Carbon Nanoparticle Regions: North America Stakeholders: Government, Industry Related Forums: Governance print format	NDN Home Subscribe Manage Subscription Search News Archives Nanotechnology Quintuples Heating Capacity of Solar Water Heaters -- Renewable Energy Magazine (9/1/2010) Researchers at the University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Brazil, have developed a solar heating system that uses nanotechnology to heat water to five times the temperature of a conventional system, while also permitting the collector surface area to retain up to 98 percent of heat from solar radiation. [More] Pakistan's Science Minister Attacks Funding Cuts -- SciDev.Net (9/1/2010) The Pakistan government has cuts its funds for the Pakistan Ministry of Science and Technology's 2010-2011 budget by almost half, causing the science minister, Muhammad Azam Khan Swati, to criticize his own government. [More] Nanotechnology: Small wonders -- Nature (9/1/2010) This article takes an in-depth look at the United States National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI)'s first 10 years - to find out where the money went and what the initiative plans to do next. [More] Nanotech on Farmers' Fields -- Silicon Nutrition (8/31/2010) A plant nutrition study that addresses nano-sized plant nutrients is now available from the Landbouwkundige Uitgeverij G.C. van den Berg (Veenendaal, The Netherlands). [More] More News... Learn how to include these headlines on your own website by clicking here. Please email us if you require text-only versions of the daily emails.