• Project number: F 2325
• Institution: Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) / Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (ITEM)
• Status: Completed Project

Description:

The aim of the EU project "Regulatory testing of nanomaterials (NANoREG)" with more than 85 partner institutions was to develop reliable, reproducible and practicable methods for the risk assessment of nanomaterials within the framework of the European chemicals regulation, especially REACH.

BAuA (Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin, BAuA) contributed to this with the further development of the Fluidizer method for the determination of the dusting behaviour, especially of fibrous nanomaterials. With this method, the nanomaterials jointly investigated in the project could be quantified as having moderate or strong dustiness. The method will become part of an OECD Test Guideline for determining the dustiness of nanomaterials.
In a study on the inhalation toxicology of nanomaterials that is unique in its scope and size, a second contribution of the BAuA to NANoREG, it was shown that low occupational exposures lead to chronic particle-induced inflammation of low magnitude in the lung, which in turn, however, is not sufficient to cause tumour formation. Particle accumulation in other organs could be detected at very low concentrations, but no pathological damage was observed.
The third scientific contribution was the market-ready development of the Cyto-Thermal Precipitator (Cyto-TP), an in-house development by BAuA, for screening newly developed innovative materials for harmful properties. The method allows thermophoretic deposition of airborne nanoparticles onto cellular test systems.

In the role of National Coordinator, BAuA has coordinated the dialogue between national stakeholders and the project partners. Requirements for test methods for nanomaterial regulation and results from the NANoREG project were mutually exchanged.