Assessment of environmental and biological interactions of nanomaterials

Assessing the interactions of nanomaterials with environmental and biological systems and their implications for occupational health is both complex and rapidly evolving. The quantity of publicly available literature on nanotechnology is staggering. Inconsistent and inconclusive reports continue to foster significant scientific debate. There is also an ongoing and active scientific discussion about the validity of the various research methods, findings, and conclusions. To address these concerns, the Nanomaterial Registry has been developed as an authoritative, web-based tool that systematically organizes and evaluates existing research findings on the impacts of well-characterized nanomaterials on biological and environmental systems. This presentation will highlight current and future Registry features and functionality, including the ability to search and visually compare different nanomaterials from diverse sources. Additionally, this presentation will describe the numerous opportunities for nanotechnology experts from across broad stakeholder groups and user communities to contribute technical perspectives and data to enhance the Registry. To facilitate development of the Registry, a minimal information standard for nanomaterials has been established which has already been used to develop evaluation criteria and similarity matching criteria for nanomaterials that are included in the Nanomaterial Registry.