Is adaptation or transformation needed? Active nanomaterials and risk analysis

Kuzma, Jennifer; Roberts, John Patrick

doi:10.1007/s11051-016-3506-y

Cited by 2 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…A detailed analysis aimed at uncovering possible new risks and challenges for the traditional risk assessment paradigm posed by active nanostructures was carried out for three case studies (foldable and self-replicating DNA nanostructures, stimuli-responsive self-assembling proteins, and photo-activated miRNA delivery systems for gene modulation) ( Kuzma and Roberts, 2016 ). The authors concluded that active nanostructures challenge the existing risk assessment frameworks: they behave “somewhere between a chemical and a living organism” ; they change during their lifetime and may pose different hazards; “they often contain molecules that can integrate with the hosts' bio-machinery (e.g.…”

Section: Are Smart Nanomaterials Safe?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, considering the potential impacts throughout the whole life cycle of these new solutions compared to the conventional ones could facilitate their sustainable application ( Lowry et al, 2019 ). In their assessment of whether existing risk frameworks for chemicals and nanomaterials need adaptation or transformation to cover active nanostructures, Kuzma and Roberts (2016) conclude that risk frameworks need to include the use of “life-cycle thinking, systems thinking, and probabilistic analysis (e.g. engineering concepts, system dynamics models, fault trees, event trees)” and move from a deterministic to a probabilistic interpretation of risk.…”

Section: Is the Regulatory Framework Ready For Smart Nanomaterials?mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Towards safe and sustainable innovation in nanotechnology: State-of-play for smart nanomaterials

et al. 2021

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The European Green Deal, the European Commission's new Action Plan for a Circular Economy, the new European Industrial Strategy and the Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability launched in October 2020 are ambitious plans to achieve a sustainable, fair and inclusive European Union's economy. In line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030, these policies require that any new material or product should be not only functional and cost-effective but also safe and sustainable to ensure compliance with regulation and acceptance by consumers. Nanotechnology is one of the technologies that could enable such a green growth. This paper focuses on advanced nanomaterials that actively respond to external stimuli, also known as ‘smart nanomaterials’, and which are already on the market or in the research and development phase for non-medical applications such as in agriculture, food, food packaging and cosmetics. A review shows that smart nanomaterials and enabled products may present new challenges for safety and sustainability assessment due to their complexity and dynamic behaviour. Moreover, existing regulatory frameworks, in particular in the European Union, are probably not fully prepared to address them. What is missing today is a systematic and comprehensive approach that allows for considering sustainability aspects hand in hand with safety considerations very early on at the material design stage. We call on innovators, scientists and authorities to further develop and promote the ‘Safe- and Sustainable-by-Design’ concept in nanotechnology and propose some initiatives to go into this direction.

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Section: Are Smart Nanomaterials Safe?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Is the Regulatory Framework Ready For Smart Nanomaterials?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards safe and sustainable innovation in nanotechnology: State-of-play for smart nanomaterials

et al. 2021

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“…A thorough and critical evaluation of robust, fit-for-purpose risk analysis tools or frameworks could have improved stakeholders' understanding and expectations on their utility, limitations, and outcomes, as well as helped illuminate the expected time, cost, and degrees of complexity that may be expected to eventually complete assessments. For example, probabilistic risk analysis, microbial risk analysis, and pest risk analysis have been proposed for active nanomaterials that interact with and respond to biological systems [35]. Further, not all decisions regarding potential risks need to be made from quantitative estimates, as other options include the selection of alternatives [36,37].…”

Section: Critically Evaluate and Select Robust Fit-for-purpose Toolsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Best practices from nano-risk analysis relevant for other emerging technologies

et al. 2019

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Is adaptation or transformation needed? Active nanomaterials and risk analysis

Cited by 2 publications

References 41 publications

Towards safe and sustainable innovation in nanotechnology: State-of-play for smart nanomaterials

Towards safe and sustainable innovation in nanotechnology: State-of-play for smart nanomaterials

Best practices from nano-risk analysis relevant for other emerging technologies

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