What we know about (bio)degradation and safety by design of nanomaterials

Safer Chemicals Podcast

In this episode we focus on nanomaterials, and more specifically, on how they persist in the environment and how their safety should be considered already when the products are being designed.
Nanomaterials have different properties than larger materials. Producing them opens new opportunities in many fields - but they may also have different effects on our health and the environment than larger forms.
The European Union Observatory for Nanomaterials, also known as EUON, recently concluded a study looking at what tools are available for assessing the biodegradation of nanomaterials, and how these can be used for regulatory processes.
The study also looked at the 'Safe by design' concept for nanomaterials, and if and how safety considerations are introduced when designing and developing products and processes.
You will hear three experts discussing the topic:
Dr Richard Cross, an Ecotoxicologist from the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology who is an expert on biodegradation. He has a particular interest in the fate and behaviours of engineered nanomaterials, microplastics and nanoplastics and how this relates to their biological interactions.
Dr Socorro Vázquez-Campos who is the lead of the Human and Environmental Health & Safety Group at LEITAT Technological Centre in Barcelona. She leads an EU project that aims to develop a platform to guide the Safe by Design concept for nanomaterials.
Virginia Rodriguez Unamuno, a Scientific Officer from the European Chemicals Agency who will talk us through the study and its findings.

Full episode transcript

EUON website
More:
Nanomaterials’ (bio)degradation, persistence, and safe by design (SbD) examined in a recent study - news, 12 December 2022
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章

1. How is the biodegradation and persistence of nanomaterials different from conventional chemicals? (00:02:25)

2. What do we know so far about the biodegradation and persistence of nanomaterials? (00:05:27)

3. What other ways are there to degrade nanomaterials and to reduce their release or environmental impact? (00:08:47)

4. What should companies consider when they design and produce nanomaterials or include them in their products? (00:09:47)

5. What does the safe by design concept mean? (00:11:48)

6. Are there specific things that need to be considered when we talk specifically about safe by design nanomaterials? (00:12:45)

7. What would be the biggest risks of not being able to apply safe by design principle to nanomaterials? (00:15:29)

8. How well are safety considerations taken into account when developing new nanomaterials? (00:16:32)

9. EUON study on biodegradable, persistent and safe by design nanomaterials (00:18:51)

10. Why was it important to study these particular topics? (00:19:47)

11. Findings of the study (00:21:56)

12. What are the consequences of the existing shortcomings, e.g. lacking data? (00:25:02)

13. Data generation and its impact for the future (00:26:08)

14. What needs to be done to speed up the development and to better understand the challenges of biodegradation and safe by design? (00:29:03)