Spotlight August 2020: The nanoGRAVUR Grouping approach

In August, we would like to present a paper of the German BMBF project nanoGRAVUR. nanoGRAVUR dealt from 2015-2018 with the grouping of nanostructured materials with regard to occupational safety, consumer and environmental protection and risk mitigation. The approach is now described by the project partners in this paper.

Due to the variety of synthetic nanomaterials and the numerous modifications (differences in size, shape, chemical composition and surface functionalization), the effort required to investigate effects and behaviour within the framework of regulatory requirements is enormous. Given the variability of possible effects, it is almost impossible to examine the potential risk for each nanomaterial on a case-by-case basis. Grouping or analogy now aims to allow a reliable prediction of hazards from nanomaterials of a group without additional testing by identifying certain properties or parameters.

For each of the three different areas of occupational, consumer and environmental safety, different groups may emerge, but they are based on a harmonised set of material properties with specific analytical methods, descriptors and areas. Proof of concept is provided in this publication by quantitative data on 34 case studies.

Original Publication:

Wohlleben, W, Hellack, B, Nickel, C, Herrchen, M, Hund-Rinke, K, Kettler, K, Riebeling, C, Haase, A, Funk, B, Kühnel, D, Göhler, D, Stintz, M, Schumacher, C, Wiemann, M, Keller, J, Landsiedel, R, Broßell, D, Pitzko, S, Kuhlbusch,T (2019), The nanoGRAVUR framework to group (nano)materials for their occupational, consumer, environmental risks based on a harmonized set of material properties, applied to 34 case studies. DOI 10.1039/c9nr03306h