>
Spotlight July 2022: New definition on nanomaterials published
The European Union has published a new definition for nanomaterials as of June 2022. It is recommended that this be used as a basis for future legislation. The new documents can be found on the EC website.
In the new “nanodefinition”, the essential components such as the origin or the size range of the particles (1-100 nm) remain mostly unchanged, but some aspects are simplified that were only included in the old definition from 2011 through explicit extensions. For example, nanomaterials with dimensions below one nanometre, such as some nanotubes and graphene, which were previously explicitly included, are now included generically. For this purpose, elongated particles with two external dimensions smaller than 1 nm and one dimension larger than 100 nm as well as platelet-like particles with one dimension smaller than 1 nm and two dimensions larger than 100 nm are newly taken into account. Particles with two orthogonal external dimensions larger than 100 µm no longer have to be taken into account.
Likewise, some decision criteria have been clarified and simplified. The previous criterion that a material with a volume specific surface area (VSSA) of 60 m2/cm3 or more was classified as nano has now been dropped. Conversely, in future a material can be designated as non-nano if the VSSA is smaller than 6 m2/cm3. Finally, the threshold for the particle number-based size distribution in the new definition is no longer flexible, but fixed at 50 %.
Weitere Spotlights
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…
Read moreSpotlight September 2023: Fishing for raw materials with proteins
The so-called rare earth elements such as neodymium, dysprosium or cerium are elements that are of great importance for the energy transition; among others they serve as components of magnets in generators for electric power generation, act as luminescent materials in energy-saving lamps or as part of the car exhaust catalytic converter. The global production […]
Read moreSpotlight August 2022: Three-stage model for the formation of micro- and nanoplastic particles.
Plastic pollution is a global problem that will continue to affect humanity for more than 100 years. There is the visible pollution, e.g. plastic debris in the environment, which leads to death for many animals (because they mistakenly think the plastic is food and eat it or because they get caught in the plastic waste). […]
Read moreSpotlight January 2021: Nanoplastics challenge – How to improve tracking of nanopolystyrene distribution in the environment.
In January, we present a paper published in the Nature Journal communications materials. The article focuses on the development of a new detection method of nanopolystyrene. The method not only makes it possible to detect nanoplastics in the environment for the first time, but also to determine their accumulation in plants and animals. Nanoplastics, which […]
Read more