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EPA will continue to regulate carbon nanotubes on a case-by-case basis
14/07/2009
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will continue to regulate carbon nanotubes on a case-by-case basis as the distinct characteristics of each type of carbon nanotube could mean that each has different implications for human health and the environment.
The EPA has examined nearly a dozen different kinds of single- and multi-walled carbon nanotubes, determining each to be a new chemical. The agency is required to review information about new chemicals prior to their manufacture in the United States, and may issue conditions under which the chemical can be made.
At the end of June, the EPA's Chemical Control Division issued a series of significant new use rules (SNURs), or conditions for manufacture, for nanomaterials. These SNURs are among the first regulations designed to protect workers dealing with carbon nanotubes, and require manufacturers of specific carbon nanotubes to ensure that their workers are wearing protective clothing and masks that comply with National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) requirements. Similar SNURs are expected to be issued for other types of carbon nanotubes.
Jim Willis, Director of EPA's Chemical Control Division, said they have seen many variations of carbon nanotubes:
"They look different. They may have different properties in use and pose different hazards to people and the environment."
Willis said the agency may revise the worker protection they require as they gain more information about carbon nanotubes or if they are manufactured in new ways. He also said that EPA will be working to protect not only workers, but users of the nanotubes, consumers and the environment. Manufacturers will be expected to detail plans on how they will prevent environmental releases.
Source: BNA
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