| Summary: |
As a joint product of DuPont and the Environmental Defense Fund, this nanotechnology risk framework is intended to promote the responsible development of nanotechnology products. It recommends developing informational profiles (“base sets”) regarding the properties, hazards, and exposures associated with a given nanomaterial and its application. These profiles extend to a product’s lifecycle with a greater emphasis on ecotoxicity and environmental fate than traditional risk frameworks. The framework consists of six steps: Describe material and application; profile lifecycles; evaluate risks; assess risk management; decide, document, and act; and review and adapt. Particularly relevant now due to knowledge gaps, the framework also allows for using reasonable worst-case assumptions where insufficient data exists. |