GAO Says EPA Has Nanomaterial Regulatory Challenges, Despite Wide Use
The Government Accountability Office has issued a report on nanotechnology which concludes that nanomaterials are already widely used in commerce, but the Environmental Protection Agency faces challenges in regulating their risks.
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Nanomaterials Used in 8 Sectors Including Electronics, Food, Cosmetics
GAO identified a variety of products across the following eight sectors that incorporate nanomaterials and are already available in commerce: automotive; defense and aerospace; electronics and computers; energy and environment; food and agriculture; housing and construction; medical and pharmaceutical; and personal care, cosmetics and other consumer products. There are also many other uses under development.
EPA Has Incomplete Nanomaterial Regulation, Lacks Technology
Under its existing statutory framework, EPA has regulated some nanomaterials but not others. Although EPA is planning to issue additional regulations later this year, these changes have not yet gone into effect and products may be entering the market without EPA review of all available information on their potential risk. Moreover, EPA faces challenges in effectively regulating nanomaterials that may be released in air, water, and waste because it lacks the technology to monitor and characterize these materials or the statutes include volume based regulatory thresholds that may be too high for effectively regulating the production and disposal of nanomaterials.
EPA Should Modifify Nanomaterial Regulatory Framework
GAO recommends that EPA complete its plans to modify its regulatory framework for nanomaterials as needed and states that EPA agreed.
(GAO-10-549, dated May 2010)