Nanotechnology Lawyer & Attorney : Porter Wright Morris & Arthur : Nanotechnology Law Report - Germanium nanobead image provided by UT-Battelle, which manages Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the Department of Energy

New Edition of Nanotechnology Law Report

Inside you will find:

• EPA Considering New Approach to Nanoscale Materials Under TSCA
• EPA May Issue Mandatory Data Collection Rule for Nanoscale Materials Under TSCA
• EPA Takes Aim at Antimicrobial Products Under FIFRA
• EPA Unveils New Principles for Chemical Management Reform
• EPA Report on the Use of Nanoscale TiO2 in Water and Sunscreens
• EPA Withdraws Carbon Nanotube SNURs
• Press Release: New Contributing Editor for InterNano
• Virginia CLE presentation: “Insurance, Nanotechnology, and Risk”
• Nanoparticles and Deaths in the People’s Republic
• Sweating the Small Stuff
• Soil Association Cites China Deaths in Renewed Call for Moratorium on Nanotechnology Commercialization
• Nanotechnology Legislation in the 111th Congress
• Mapping Nano
• Flight of the Nanobees

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Earlier today, the Guardian printed a letter from the Soil Association criticizing the paper's nanotechnology supplement appearing last Thursday.  The letter cites the Song study from China as more evidence supporting its call for a moratorium on nanoscale materials along with "nano-free" standards, which we have previously covered.  Key statements from the letter follow:

"Seven women working in a factory [in China] where nanoparticles were used in paint fell ill with serious lung disease and two died. Researchers . . . found nanoparticles deep in the lungs of the women . . . A chemical in the paint, the patients' lung tissue and the liquid surrounding the lungs were all found to contain nanoparticles."

"There should be an immediate freeze on the commercial release of nanomaterials until there is a sound body of scientific research into all the health impacts."

The letter does not attempt to explain any of the severe criticism the Song article has received by most main stream scientists, and is a good example of bad science put to a questionable use.

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EurActiv.com (EU News, Policy Positions, and EU Actions on line) published an article on June 15, 2009 entitled "Nanotech claims 'dropped' for fear of consumer recoil." 

The article reported on a nanotechnology conference which took place in Brussels during the week of June 10 at which a scientist from the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars' Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies maintained that some of the current environmental, health, and safety controversy accompanying certain nanoscale materials is not grounded in scientific fact, but has nonetheless led some manufacturers to remove "nano" from their product labels and advertising. He further stated that "we have seen some companies drop the 'nano' claim while continuing to use nanotechnology. This suggests nanotechnology is going underground."

Providing a counterpoint, the Director of the European Nanotechnology Industries Association said that "[v]arying definitions [of nanotechnology] leads to claims that the industry is not open to information. But nobody is lying and nobody is misleading the public or authorities. Let's agree on what we're talking about and work together to inform consumers."

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