Timing, hosts and locations of (grouped) events of NanoImpactNet

ead-outs from some test methods, leading to false positives or
negatives, as well as inconclusive results. Approaches that are
adapted to NMs need to be established and validated. The
discussions focussed on three different domains, in vitro, in vivo
and ex vivo testing strategies.
A consensus report detailing the proceedings and
recommendations of this workshop, entitled “Protocols for
assessment of biological hazards of engineered nanomaterials” is
available on the NanoImpactNet web site.
Workshop - Development of strategies to assess occupational health
effects
One limitation for determining the health and safety impacts of
NMs is the lack of methods to determine or quantify levels of
occupational exposure over long periods and to investigate the
health of potentially affected populations. Currently, there is no
Europe-wide system to register occupational health related to NM
exposure. Occupational Health reporting strategies were discussed
and the ethical, legal and social limitations of such reporting
strategies were considered. The workshop began with overviews
of the strategies currently used to assess occupational health
effects in workers, including health surveillance and occupational
health reporting schemes, such as the UK’s health and
occupational reporting network (THOR). Participants then divided
into break-out groups to consider how to develop and apply
different approaches within the nanotechnology field. These
groups came back together at the end of the day to discuss the
best ways forward for occupational health assessment in this
arena.
The result of this meeting was a consensus report by Gibson et al.
entitled “Strategies for assessing occupational health effects of
engineered nanomaterials”. This is available on the
NanoImpactNet web site.
Stakeholder Workshop - How to make industrial data available
Industry data is clearly proprietary information and can be very
sensitive because if it were to ‘fall into the wrong hands’ valuable
investments could be damaged. Firms legitimately put great
thought into which partners they might be willing to share their
data with. Researchers have to maintain a dialogue with industry
to create good faith and trust. From the academic’s point of view,
it would constitute a great leap forward if industrial scientists
could be convinced to share more of their knowledge in public
communications or peer-reviewed journals, so as to enable
comparative assessments.
Academics are interested in core industry data on exposure, dose
response, etc. By bringing industrial and non-industrial researchers
and other stakeholders around the same table, this workshop
aimed to assess how much information industry is willing to share
and what company policies are. The idea was that industry
speakers would bring ideas for a common strategy for making
industrial data available and what conditions would be necessary
for this to happen: case by case, voluntary code, industry rules,
existing regulations and/or new nano-specific laws. Additionally, an
assessment of the minimum amount of data that would be
required for this exercise to be useful was considered necessary,
while balancing the needs of industry to protect formulation and
other key product-specific information. After a brief introduction
and presentations from industry and a regulatory expert, other
stakeholders stated their prime, concise question regarding access
to industry data to the nano industry participants.
NanoSafetyCluster - Compendium 2012
A short stakeholder report entitled, “How stakeholders can be
involved in NanoImpactNet and how companies can make data
accessible” is available on NanoImpactNet’s web site.
5.1.4 The Bilthoven Workshops, The Netherlands
Three interlinked workshops took place in Bilthoven 5-7 October
2009. They focused on the following questions:
Nanoparticle metrics in the air, exposure scenarios and exposure
routes
Particle number and particle size distribution are de facto
standards to describe NP exposure, but other metrics might also
be relevant. Furthermore, exposure measurements are more
useful for risk assessment if they are linked to exposure scenarios
and routes. This workshop focused on measurement metrics
relevant for various environments, scenarios and routes, and what
needs to be done for a qualitative and quantitative exposure
assessment.
Development of standardised protocols to determine fate and
behaviour of NPs in the environment
Besides evaluating the state of knowledge regarding the
environmental fate and behaviour of NMs, this workshop
addressed the problems identified in terms of applying the current
chemical exposure assessment framework (i.e. as outlined in the
Technical Guidance Document for Risk Assessment of Chemicals in
the EU) to NMs. The focus was on carving out solutions through
interdisciplinary discussions.
Risk assessment of nanomaterials
This workshop addressed the latest scientific and technical
progress across relevant disciplines, with the aim of identifying the
issues that are essential for the risk assessment of NMs. It brought
support to the integration of existing knowledge and newly gained
insights to aid in the development of risk assessment
methodologies adequate for NMs.
Two of three reports on these workshops are available on the NIN
web site, and one is being merged with a later report.
5.1.5 The Bratislava Training School, Slovakia
This training school for young researchers on "Life cycle-based
methods for assessing nanomaterials” took place 9-11 November
2009.
Increasing production and use of engineered NPs raises concerns
over their safety to human and environmental health. The training
school focused on life cycle-based methods addressing the
importance of the whole life cycle concept of nanoproducts,
primarily in assessing the hazard and risk of NPs. A basis for the
development of adequate methodologies, tools and indicators for
assessing the life cycle of NMs was presented. Students got an
overview of life cycle methods together with practical training in
using life cycle-based tools. The target audience was young
researchers, PhD students and junior scientists from different
fields with an interest in the fate and life cycle of NMs.
Compendium of Projects in the European NanoSafety Cluster 125