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
DTSC Reports
- Nanomaterial Company Visits Report
- A Review of the Emerging Nanotechnology Industry: Materials, Fabrications, and Applications
- Analysis of the California Nanoindustry Focused on Carbon Nanotubes and TiO2 Nanomaterials
Other References
- ASTM, E2456-06, Terminology for Nanotechnology, December 2006
- California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) Library (search the CIWMB/DTSC Catalog using the keyword “nano”)
- City of Berkeley, Manufactured Nanoscale Material Health & Safety Disclosure, August 2007
- Environmental Defense and DuPont Nano Partnership, The Nano Risk Framework, June 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, February 2009
- U.S. EPA, Final Nanotechnology White Paper, February 2007
- U.S. EPA, Nanoscale Materials Stewardship Program (NMSP)
Related Websites
Federal Programs
- U.S. EPA Nanotechnology
- National Nanotechnology Initiative
- NIOSH Nanotechnology Web site
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration Nanotechnology Web site
State Programs
- Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute (ONAMI) Safer Nanomaterials and Nanomanufacturing Initiative (SNNI)
Universities
- California NanoSystems Institute (link removed – destination no longer available) – UCLA/UCSB – UC Lead Campus Program for NanoToxicology Research and Training (NRTP)
- Nanomaterials in the Environment, Agriculture, and Technology Organized Research Unit (NEAT_ORU)
- National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network
- National Science Foundation funded Network of Computational Nanotechnology: nanoHUB
Research Facilities
- Argonne National Laboratories (link removed – destination no longer available)
- Berkeley Laboratory Molecular Foundry
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Non-Profit Organizations/Professional Societies
- American Bar Association
- American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Nanoscience and Engineering Forum
- IEEE Virtual Museum (link removed – destination no longer available)
- The NanoEthics Group (link removed – destination no longer available)
Standard Development Organizations
- American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Nanotechnology Standards Panel
- ASTM Technical Committee E56 on Nanotechnology
- International Organization of Standards (ISO) Technical Committee on Nanotechnologies
International Organizations
- European Union Community Research and Development Information Service (CORDIS) (link removed – destination no longer available)
- The Innovation Society Ltd. (link removed – destination no longer available) consulting company
- NanoSpain, Spanish Nanotechnology Network (link removed – destination no longer available)
- Nanotechnology Portal Nanowerk
- United Kingdom Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM) SAFENANO Initiative
Educational Sources
- University of California Santa Diego: When Things Get Small
- National Museum of Science & Industry: Nanotechnology: Small Science, Big Deal
- National Science Foundation Network of Computational Nanotechnology: A Gentle Introduction to Nanotechnology and Nanoscience
- Fred Friendly Seminar Series, Nanotechnology: The Power of Small
K-12
- University of California Berkeley Lawrence Hall of Science, Nanozone (link removed – destination no longer available)
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.
Agenda (link removed – destination no longer available)
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.
- Symposium Flyer (link removed – destination no longer available)
- Agenda (link removed – destination no longer available)
- Highlights from the Nanotechnology V Symposium
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.
- Agenda (link removed – destination no longer available)
- Press Release
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.
- Agenda (link removed – destination no longer available)
- Brochure
Symposium #1
Nanotechnology Symposium
DTSC hosted a free, public half-day nanotechnology symposium on March 8, 2007 in Sacramento.
- Agenda (link removed – destination no longer available)
- Brochure (link removed – destination no longer available)
- Media Advisory
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 | |
| Apex Nanomaterials |
Business Closed |
| Bayer MaterialSciences, LLC. | |
| Carbon Solutions, Inc. | |
| Carbolex, Inc. |
Business Closed |
| California Institute of Technology | |
| California State University (CSU) System | |
| Cheap Tubes | |
| Cnano Technology, Limited | |
| ELORET Corporation | |
| Graphene Solutions |
Not Applicable |
| Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) | |
| Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) | |
| Molecular Nanosystems, Inc. | |
| Nanomix | |
| NASA Ames Research Center |
January 26, 2010 |
| San Jose State University | |
| Santa Clara University | |
| Stanford Materials, Inc. | |
| Stanford University | |
| Sun Innovations (formerly Sun Nano) | |
| University of Affiliated Reseach Center UARC/NASA Ames | |
|
Unidym, Inc. |
|
|
University of California (UC) |
|
|
University of Southern California (USC) |
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 |
Response |
|
AMEC Geomatrix, Inc. |
|
|
APS Laboratory |
|
|
BASF Corporation |
|
|
Caltech |
|
|
Cambrios Technologies Corp. |
|
|
Catalytica |
|
|
Chemat Technology, Inc. |
No response. |
|
Croda, Inc. |
|
|
California State University (System-wide) |
|
|
California Institute of Technology |
|
|
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 |
|
|
Ishihara Corporation (USA) |
|
|
Kovio, Inc. |
No response. |
|
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory |
|
|
Life Technologies, Inc. |
|
|
Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. |
No response. |
|
MTI Corporation |
No response. |
|
nanoComposix |
No response. |
|
Nanogram |
|
|
Nanosys |
|
|
OnMaterials |
USPS undeliverable. |
|
Philips Lumileds Lighting Company |
No response. |
|
Pilkington |
|
|
PRIMA Environmental, Inc. |
No response, |
|
QDSoleil, Inc. |
See Nanosys. |
|
Quantum Sphere, Inc. |
No response. |
|
Sandia California National Laboratory |
|
|
Samsung Semiconductor |
|
|
Seashell Technology |
No response. |
|
SEMI |
|
|
Shrink Technologies |
December 28, 2010 |
|
Solyndra, Inc. |
No response. |
|
Stanford Materials Corporation |
No response. |
|
Stanford University |
|
|
Stion Corporation |
|
|
Sun Innovations (Sun Nano) |
No response. |
|
Toshiba America Electronics |
No response. |
|
University of California (System-wide) |
|
|
University of Southern California |
Partnerships & Collaborations
DTSC – California Department of Pesticide Regulation
DTSC and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) 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.