The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced plans to obtain information on nanoscale materials in pesticide products. Under the requirements of the law, EPA will gather information on what nanoscale materials are present in pesticide products to determine whether the registration of a pesticide may cause unreasonable adverse effects on the environment and human health.
“We want to obtain timely and accurate information on what nanoscale materials may be in pesticide products,” said Steve Owens, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. “This information is needed for EPA to meet its requirement under the law to protect public health and the environment.”
EPA also recognizes that nanoscale materials have a range of potentially beneficial public and commercial applications, including pest control products. The agency will continue to encourage responsible and innovative development of products containing nanoscale materials to realize these benefits while also addressing health or environmental concerns.
The new proposed policy options will be published in the Federal Register. The notice will also propose a new approach for how EPA will determine whether a nanoscale ingredient is a “new” active or inert ingredient for purposes of scientific evaluation under the pesticide laws, when an identical, non-nanoscale form of the nanoscale ingredient is already registered under FIFRA (Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act). This approach will help ensure that EPA is informed about the presence of nanoscale ingredients in pesticide products and allows a more thorough review of the potential risks.
More information or to read the proposed notice: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/regulating/nanotechnology.html .
The proposed policy will be open for public comment. Comments on the Federal Register notice will be accepted until 30 days after publication. The notice will be available at www.regulations.gov in docket number EPA–HQ–OPP–2010-0197.
