• Nanotechnology
• Pesticides

Nanosilver Developments at EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs

Beveridge & Diamond, P.C., February 5, 2010

Nanoscale silver, or “nanosilver,” is used in an increasing variety of industrial and consumer products, from electrically conducting ink to odor-free consumer products.  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) potentially regulates many of these nanosilver products under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (“FIFRA”). 

EPA’s review and regulation of nanosilver will likely be heavily shaped by recommendations released on January 28, 2010 by the FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel (“SAP”), the primary scientific peer review mechanism of EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs (“OPP”).  EPA requested advice from the SAP on its general approach to scientific issues relating to evaluation of nanosilver hazards and exposures.  The SAP’s report suggested that existing information on conventional silver or silver ion products would not be particularly helpful in assessing the risks posed by any particular nanosilver product.  It therefore recommended that EPA treat nanosilver differently from conventional silver in evaluating applications for approval of new nanosilver pesticide products, in terms of both data requirements and the conduct of risk assessments.  In particular, it called for EPA to require additional data on physico-chemical properties, exposure potential, and health and environmental effects.

This alert reviews the conclusions of the SAP and other nanosilver science policy developments at EPA.  These developments are likely to influence future regulatory actions by other federal and state agencies, and even international regulators.

To read the full alert, please click here. 

For more information, please contact Mark Duvall at mduvall@bdlaw.com.