The EPA has issued its Nanomaterial Research Strategy (NRS), which will guide its Office of Research and Development’s (ORD) nanomaterial research program. The NRS employs a comprehensive environment assessment approach from a life cycle perspective. The ORD will implement the NRS by funding Science to Achieve Results grants, Small Business Innovation Research grants, and research at its own labs. The strategy is focused on four areas related to nanomaterial safety: identifying sources, fate, transport and exposure; understanding human health and ecology effects to inform risk assessments and test methods; developing risk assessment approaches; and preventing and mitigating risk. The ORD aims to develop predictive models and tools for testing for seven types of manufactured nanomaterials. For detecting nanomaterials in environmental media, the NRS’s goal is remote, real time, in situ, continuous-monitoring devices, as well as the development of new techniques and analytical methods. Other areas of focus include chemical exposure assessments with a focus on “omic” tools to identify exposure indicators; an integrated, multidisciplinary testing strategy for health effects research; and research to understand emissions/releases of nanomaterials.

Source: EPA