Health Canada Announces Policy Statement Concerning Working Definition for Nanomaterial

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Health Canada Announces Policy Statement Concerning Working Definition for Nanomaterial
Created by assoceditor on 17/10/2011 11:35:10

Health Canada last week published a Policy Statement on a Working Definition for Nanomaterials.

In March 2010, Health Canada launched a web-based consultation on the Interim Policy Statement on Health Canada's Working Definition for Nanomaterial. The consultation was open for comment from 1st March to 31st August 2010. During that period, Health Canada received a total of 29 submissions from companies, industry groups, governments, academia, public interest groups and interested citizens.

Health Canada made changes to the Interim Policy Statement based on stakeholders' feedback. Changes were also informed by developments in international norms, evolving scientific evidence and regulatory program needs. These changes appear in the "Policy Statement on Health Canada's Working Definition for Nanomaterial," which will continue to be updated as the body of scientific evidence and international norms progress.

The Policy Statement states:

Health Canada considers any manufactured substance or product and any component material, ingredient, device, or structure to be nanomaterial if:

a. It is at or within the nanoscale in at least one external dimension, or has internal or surface structure at the nanoscale; or

b. It is smaller or larger than the nanoscale in all dimensions and exhibits one or more nanoscale properties/phenomena.

For the purposes of this definition

i) The term "nanoscale" means 1 to 100 nanometers, inclusive;
ii) The term "nanoscale properties/phenomena" means properties which are attributable to size and their effects; these properties are distinguishable from the chemical or physical properties of individual atoms, individual molecules and bulk material; and
iii) The term "manufactured" includes engineering processes and the control of matter.

Both the Policy Statement and Health Canada's responses to key stakeholder comments are available on the Health Canada website.

Source: Nanotechnology Law Blog (with minor editorial changes)

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