The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced this week that it plans to obtain information on nanoscale materials in pesticide products. The EPA will use the information to determine whether the registration of a pesticide may cause unreasonable adverse effects on the environment and human health. Steve Owens, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, said, “We want to obtain timely and accurate information on what nanoscale materials may be in pesticide products. This information is needed for EPA to meet its requirement under the law to protect public health and the environment.” While the EPA recognizes that nanoscale materials have a range of potentially beneficial public and commercial applications, including in pest control products, certain nanoscale materials, under specific conditions, could pose new or increased hazards to humans and the environment. The EPA wants to encourage the responsible and innovative development of products containing these substances while also addressing health or environmental concerns. The new proposed policy options will be published in the Federal Register shortly, and comments will be accepted until 30 days after publication.
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/05ff063e9205eb3c852578aa005aa0f8?OpenDocument