• Project number: F 2512
• Institution: Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA)
• Status: Ongoing Project
• Planned end: 2024-06-30

Description:

Safe use of nanomaterials requires tailored analytical methods as well as data interpretation procedures. Since existing test guidelines cannot always be applied to nanomaterials, it is necessary to adapt the existing or develop new test guidelines for regulatory purposes.

The NanoHarmony project involves generation, gathering and use of data and information about nanomaterials in order to provide a scientific basis for the development of new test guidelines and guidance documents. This is being done in close collaboration with the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), the Malta Initiative (MI), nanomaterials manufacturers and the OECD Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials (WPMN).

BAuA, holding the consortium leadership in the NanoHarmony project, will contribute to the development of a test guideline for the determination of nanomaterial dustiness. The correct determination of the fraction of respirable fibres in a released aerosol provides important information for risk assessment in the workplace, allowing safe handling of these substances.

Another aim of the NanoHarmony project is to build up a permanent network uniting all relevant stakeholders. With the help of this network and the basic principles of the processes already tested in the project, necessary test guidelines can then be developed or adapted more quickly and in a targeted manner in the future.

In the EU Horizon 2020 project NanoHarmony (CSA), 14 European partners from research, industry and public authorities are working together. A further 18 international associated partners from Australia, Asia, Africa and North America are actively involved in this project. They provide important scientific input to the OECD Test Guidelines and facilitate their acceptance in the OECD.