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Consultancy & Review Activities - DEFRA & SAFENANO


 
DEFRA Report CB0406: HARN: An outline scoping study to determine whether High Aspect Ratio nanoparticles should raise the same concerns as do asbestos fibres

CL Tran, SM Hankin, B Ross, RJ Aitken, AD Jones, K Donaldson, V Stone, R Tantra (2008)
DEFRA Report CB0406 - code99

This project addressed concerns about the potential health effects of high aspect ratio nanoparticles (HARN). It did so by undertaking a scoping study to review the existing literature on industrial fibres and HARN to determine whether high aspect ratio nanoparticles (HARN) should raise the same concerns as do asbestos fibres; and setting out a research strategy towards determining whether the health concerns about HARN are well–founded.

The consortium behind the HARN report was comprised from members of SnIRC (the Safety of Nanoparticles Interdisciplinary Research Centre) – including IOM, Edinburgh University & Napier University; with additional input from the National Physics Laboratory, London. In preparation of the report, opinion was also sought from a variety of leading experts across a range of stakeholder groups, from both within the UK and throughout Europe.

The report was completed and published in January 2009, to widespread acclaim within the nanotech EHS community.

To read more on the report's conclusions, click here.

To read a personal opinion on the report's implications from Fr Ratna Tantra, member of the project team, click here.

The report is available to download in full here.