Second National Nanotech Day Set for Oct. 9
National Nanotechnology Day is an annual event featuring community-led events and activities on or around Oct. 9 to raise awareness of nanotechnology, how it is currently used in a variety of products, and the challenges and opportunities it holds for the future.
NIOSH and researchers in the U.S. nanotechnology community will mark the second National Nanotechnology Day on Oct. 9. NIOSH has a lead role as the head federal agency conducting research and providing guidance on occupational safety and health implications and applications of nanotechnology.
The agency has produced risk assessments and has recommended occupational exposure limits for ultrafine titanium dioxide and carbon nanotubes.
Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter on a near-atomic scale to produce new structures, materials, and devices. Nanomaterials are defined as those things that have a length scale between 1 and 100 nanometers.
National Nanotechnology Day is an annual event featuring community-led events and activities on or around Oct. 9 to raise awareness of nanotechnology, how it is currently used in a variety of products, and the challenges and opportunities it holds for the future. This date, 10/9, pays homage to the nanometer scale.
In recognition of National Nanotechnology Day, NIOSH is bringing together Wikipedians and scientists to lead an effort to update Wikipedia articles on health and safety information pertaining to nanomaterials. Wikipedia editors from the Midwest will join NIOSH scientists in Cincinnati to learn the latest advances in nanotechnology health and safety and communicate that information as content on Wikipedia. This effort will provide the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office with additional resources to share with the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative; the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office also is promoting activities such as the 100 Billion Nanometer Dash (a challenge to run #100BillionNanometers, or100 meters, and share photos and videos), as well as nanotechnology podcasts that will be launched on National Nano Day.
The office suggests offering lab tours and open houses, outreach events, science seminars, and more.
In a final rule published Oct. 3 and effective Nov. 2, EPA has finalized a significant new use rule (SNUR) under section 5(a)(2) of the Toxic Substances Control Act for the chemical substance identified generically as bimodal mixture consisting of multi-walled carbon nanotubes and other classes of carbon nanotubes, which was the subject of premanufacture notice P-11-482. This action requires persons who intend to manufacture (defined by statute to include import) or process the chemical substance for a use that is designated as a significant new use by this final rule to notify EPA at least 90 days before commencing the activity. This may affect manufacturers in NAICS codes 325 and 324110 -- chemical manufacturing and petroleum refineries, according to the rule.