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Chemical Call-in/Nanotechnology

DTSC and Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology is a science that promises breakthroughs in all kinds of areas. We are already seeing it in stain resistant clothes, stronger materials and even in makeup. DTSC is working to make sure that Nanotechnology is safe for our health and the environment, that industry and government build strong partnerships, that the consumers get product information and that the benefits of Green chemistry will be incorporated.

Why is DTSC interested in nanotechnology?

DTSC sees nanotechnology as the new “plastic” because it will show up in many industrial applications and consumer products. Materials and devices designed at the nanoscale level are being used or considered for use in applications as diverse as cancer treatment to scratch-resistance automotive coatings. Because of the unique properties of nanomaterials, DTSC sees a need to understand this industrial sector and its products by:

gathering information on nanotechnology,
monitoring the efforts of other regulatory agencies about this emerging technology,
working with this emerging industrial sector to incorporate the benefits of “green chemistry” approaches, pollution prevention techniques, and sustainable manufacturing strategies to prevent potential adverse public health and environmental consequences,
working toward a partnership with this industrial sector to develop an industrial ecology of manufacturing to product stewardship approach that will protect public health and the environment, and
continuing to explore the merits of pro-active industrial initiatives and traditional governmental regulatory approaches.

Documents

Nanotoolkit

Working Safely with Engineered Nanomaterials in Academic Research Settings

DTSC Reports

Other References

ASTM, E2456-06, Terminology for Nanotechnology (opens new window), December 2006
California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) Library (opens new window) (search the CIWMB/DTSC Catalog using the keyword “nano”)
City of Berkeley, Manufactured Nanoscale Material Health & Safety Disclosure, August 2007
National Institute of Occupational Health, Current Intelligence Bulletin 60: Interim Guidance for Medical Screening and Hazard Surveillance for Workers Potentially Exposed to Engineered Nanoparticles (opens new window), February 2009
U.S. EPA, Final Nanotechnology White Paper (opens new window), February 2007
U.S. EPA, Nanoscale Materials Stewardship Program (NMSP) (opens new window)

Related Websites

Federal Programs

U.S. EPA Nanotechnology (opens new window)
National Nanotechnology Initiative (opens new window)
NIOSH Nanotechnology Web site (opens new window)
U .S. Food and Drug Administration Nanotechnology Web site (opens new window)

State Programs

Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute (ONAMI) Safer Nanomaterials and Nanomanufacturing Initiative (SNNI) (opens new window)

International Organizations

Nanotechnology Portal Nanowerk (opens new window)
United Kingdom Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM) SAFENANO Initiative (opens new window)

Educational Sources

University of California Santa Diego: When Things Get Small (opens new window)
National Museum of Science & Industry: Nanotechnology: Small Science, Big Deal (opens new window)
National Science Foundation Network of Computational Nanotechnology: A Gentle Introduction to Nanotechnology and Nanoscience (opens new window)

Sponsored Forums

Public Workshop on State and Federal Nanomaterial Activities

The Department of Toxic Substances Control and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) sponsored a public workshop on September 22, 2010 in San Francisco. The purpose of the workshop was to discuss:

the results of the state’s carbon nanotube information call-in,
future data call-in requests for additional nanomaterials, and
federal efforts related to carbon nanotubes for nanomaterials.

Conference Call Presentation: Nanoscale titanium dioxide and organic sunscreens

On March 8, 2010, DTSC and U.S. EPA staff participated in a conference call hosted by the BASF, Evonik, Dupont and Pennsylvania Bio Nano Systems, LLC. The call was designed to educate DTSC and U.S. EPA staff on specific aspects of titanium dioxide (TiO2) and organic sunscreens that included:

a description of the manufacture and post-manufacture processing of TiO2
the characterization of TiO2
the general uses of TiO2, and
the specific uses of TiO2 in sunscreen

The presentation material can be downloaded off the agenda or from the embedded links in the bullets above.

Responding to DTSC’s Data Call-in for Carbon Nanotubes

DTSC participated in a webinar hosted by McKenna, Long, & Aldrich, LLP on December 3, 2009 for the Carbon Nanotube Coalition. The following handouts are available for viewing:

Responding to DTSC’s Data Call-in for Carbon Nanotubes
Introduction slides (revised)
Value Chain, Worker Protection, & Hazardous Waste (Slides regarding Questions 1, 5, & 6)
Monitoring, Presence in the Environment, and Safety (Slides regarding Questions 2, 3, & 4)
Other Issues Raised by DTSC’s Questions (Slides regarding crosscutting issues)

Symposium #5
California Nanotechnology Initiative Symposium V: An Industry Perspective

The California Nano Industry Network, a network of corporations and State and national trade associations, and DTSC hosted a full-day symposium on Monday, November 16, 2009 in Sacramento, CA. Links to the speakers’ presentations can be found on the agenda. Video will be posted in the future.

Highlights from the Nanotechnology V Symposium (opens new window)

Symposium #4
Nanotechnology IV Symposium: Nanotechnology for Environmental Cleanup and Pollution Control Science, Implementation, and Regulatory Issues

The Groundwater Resources Association of California (GRA) hosted an all-day symposium on November 3, 2009, in Burlingame, CA. The Department of Toxic Substances Control and AMEC Geomatrix, Inc. were co-sponsors of this event. The Symposium was a forum for leading nanotechnology researchers, practitioners, and policy and regulatory experts to share and express the latest research findings, case studies, and regulatory issues of nanotechnology. The focus of the Symposium was on the application of nanotechnology for groundwater remediation, surface water treatment, and pollution control.

Symposium #3
DTSC Nanotechnology III Symposium, “NanoRegulation – Anticipating the Smallest Threats and the Largest Opportunities”

DTSC and the University of California Toxics Research & Teaching Program hosted a full-day nanotechnology symposium on March 19, 2009 at the Cal/EPA Headquarters Building in Sacramento.

Symposium #2
DTSC Nanotechnology Symposium II, “Potential Hazards of Nanoparticles in the Environment

DTSC hosted a free public, all-day nanotechnology symposium on October 3, 2007 in Sacramento.

Brochure

Symposium #1
Nanotechnology Symposium

DTSC hosted a free, public half-day nanotechnology symposium on March 8, 2007 in Sacramento.

Chemical Information Call-in: Round One

Carbon Nanotubes

For the first call-in, DTSC requested information about carbon nanotubes (also known as “CNT”). DTSC searched scientific literature and publicly available data sources, hosted a roundtable discussion, and participated in a webinar as part of the call-in process for obtaining information about carbon nanotubes.

DTSC sent a formal request letter on January 22, 2009, to 26 companies which were identified as producers or importers of carbon nanotubes in or to California. The letter required manufacturers and importers to submit their responses within one year. DTSC sent a follow-up letter on February 16, 2010, to remind companies that had not yet responded. The Round One carbon nanotube responses were:

Company (Alphabetical Order)	Response
Ahwahnee Technology	Business Closed
American Elements	September 14, 2009
Apex Nanomaterials	Business Closed
Bayer MaterialSciences, LLC.	January 20, 2010
Carbon Solutions, Inc.	January, 21 2010
Carbolex, Inc.	Business Closed
California Institute of Technology	January 20, 2010
California State University (CSU) System	September 14, 2009
Cheap Tubes	March 1, 2010
Cnano Technology, Limited	January 18, 2010
ELORET Corporation	March 8, 2010
Graphene Solutions	Not Applicable June 17, 2010
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL)	January 11, 2010
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)	March 25, 2010
Molecular Nanosystems, Inc.	December 22, 2009
Nanomix	February 16, 2010
NASA Ames Research Center	January 26, 2010
San Jose State University	June 17, 2009
Santa Clara University	March 8, 2010
Stanford Materials, Inc.	January 27, 2010
Stanford University	December 23, 2009
Sun Innovations (formerly Sun Nano)	December 23, 2009
University of Affiliated Reseach Center UARC/NASA Ames	March 4, 2010
Unidym, Inc.	January 21, 2010
University of California (UC)	January 19, 2010
University of Southern California (USC)	January 13, 2010

Chemical Information Call-in: Round Two

Quantum Dots, Nano Metals, and Nano Metal Oxides

For the second call-in, DTSC requested information about six chemical substances: quantum dots, nano silver, nano zero valent iron, nano cerium oxide, nano titanium dioxide, and nano zinc oxide. DTSC searched scientific literature and publicly available data sources, hosted a public workshop, and met with various manufacturers, importers, researchers, and others as part of the call-in process for obtaining information about these chemical substances.

DTSC sent formal request letters on December 21, 2010, and January 4, 2011, to 45 entities which were identified as producers or importers of one or more of the six chemical substances in or to California. These letters required manufacturers and importers to submit their responses within one year. DTSC sent a follow-up letters to remind companies that had not yet responded. The Round Two responses for quantum dots, nano metals, and nano metal oxides were:

Company (in alphabetical order)	Response
AMEC Geomatrix, Inc.	October 27, 2011
APS Laboratory	December 21, 2011
BASF Corporation	November 29, 2011
Caltech	December 23, 2011
Cambrios Technologies Corp.	December 20, 2011
Catalytica	December 27, 2011
Chemat Technology, Inc.	No response.
Croda, Inc.	January 24, 2012
California State University (System-wide)	December 19, 2011
California Institute of Technology	December 23, 2011
G24 Innovation	USPS undeliverable—business closed.
Green Millennium	No response.
Hepure Technologies	No response.
Huntsman	No response.
Intelligent Optical Systems, Inc.	No response.
Intrinsiq Materials, Inc.	No response.
InVisage Technologies	December 21, 2011
Ishihara Corporation (USA)	November 21, 2011
Kovio, Inc.	No response.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory	November 23, 2011
Life Technologies, Inc.	December 17, 2011
Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.	No response.
MTI Corporation	No response.
nanoComposix	No response.
Nanogram	Not applicable. November 9, 2011
Nanosys	December 3, 2011
OnMaterials	USPS undeliverable.
Philips Lumileds Lighting Company	No response.
Pilkington	Not applicable. November 21, 2011
PRIMA Environmental, Inc.	No response,
QDSoleil, Inc.	See Nanosys.
Quantum Sphere, Inc.	No response.
Sandia California National Laboratory	Not applicable. December 14, 2011
Samsung Semiconductor	Not applicable. November 11, 2011
Seashell Technology	No response.
SEMI	Not applicable. January 21, 2011
Shrink Technologies	December 28, 2010
Solyndra, Inc.	No response.
Stanford Materials Corporation	No response.
Stanford University	December 16, 2011
Stion Corporation	Not applicable. November 7, 2011
Sun Innovations (Sun Nano)	No response.
Toshiba America Electronics	No response.
University of California (System-wide)	January 6, 2012
University of Southern California	November 16, 2011

Partnerships & Collaborations

DTSC – California Department of Pesticide Regulation

DTSC and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) (opens new window) are collaborating on nanoscale silver (nanosilver). The two Cal/EPA departments formed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2010 to work together on nano silver, which is used in products and applications ranging from agricultural pesticides to anti-microbial food containers, appliances, and clothing.