Public interest groups, including Friends of the Earth, the International Center for Technology Assessment and Consumers Union, say the United States Food and Drug Administration’s newly released sunscreen rules fail to meaningfully consider the risks posed by nanoscale ingredients. Nanoscale ingredients are widely used in sunscreens, but, the groups say, very few such nanomaterials have been adequately tested for safety, and limited data shows that nanoparticles may be able to enter the lungs, pass through cell membranes, and possibly penetrate damaged or sunburned skin. George Kimbrell, senior attorney at ICTA, said, “The FDA’s new rule fails to address any of the concerns we raised five years ago in our legal petition. FDA’s continuing failure to address these pressing health and environmental risks is extremely disappointing and unlawful.” Ian Illuminato, health and environment campaigner at Friends of the Earth, adds, “The FDA’s new sunscreen standards miss the boat by ignoring this key health threat. The FDA has known about the threats posed by nanotech sunscreens for years, yet it refuses to regulate or require labelling for these products. Why is it that the FDA continues to falter in protecting Americans’ health?”
http://www.foe.org/new-fda-sunscreen-rules-called-blind-nanotechnology