The European collaborative project NanoValid, in which Veneto Nanotech would participate providing all the partners periodical critical reviews of existing information, collaborating in research activities, coordinating the validation steps for in vitro and in vivo testing methods, and playing a central role in the dissemination end exploitation of results, has just passed all the evaluation thresholds, and has been approved by the European Commission for the negotiation phase. The project, involving more than 30 public and private institutions from Europe, India, Canada and United States, will develop and validate new innovative methods for the life cycle impact assessment of engineered nanoparticles, and apply these test methods to industrial case studies.

The project concept arises from the fact that the growing development, production and use of engineered nanomaterials and associated products will increase exposure of both humans and ecosystems to these new materials. However, current knowledge is still incomplete and established test methods are as yet inappropriate to reliably assess the extent of exposure and risk of materials at the nano-scale. The project will then try to respond the urgent need to develop methods to overcome the current limitations of existing hazard and risk assessment schemes and to generate the body of reference data needed as the basis for regulative requirements and for measures to safeguard production, application and disposal of nanomaterials.

List of participants:

1 NOMI - NordMiljö (Coordinator) SE
2 ION - The Institute of Nanotechnology UK
3 JRC – European Commission Joint Research Centre BE
4 UTA - University of Tampare FI
5 PLUS – University of Salzburg AT
6 UNIZAR - University of Zaragossa ES
7 FUNDP – University of Namur BE
8 UNILJ – University of Lublijana SI
9 NHM – Natural History Museum UK
10 FHG - Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies & Systems DE
11 UFZ - Helmholtz Umweltforschungszentrum DE
12 IMT - Institute for R&D in Microtechnology RO
13 NRCWE - National Research Centre for the Working Environment DK
14 BAUA - Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health DE
15 EAWAG - Swiss Federal Institute for Science and Technology CH
16 NICPB - National Institute for Chemical Physics and Biophysics EE
17 BAM - Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing DE
18 DIN – Deutsches Institut für Normung DE
19 INMETRO - National Institute of Metrology, Standardization and Industrial Quality BR
20 UFMG – Federal University of Minas Gerais BR
21 IITR - Indian Institute for Toxicology Research IN
22 CCMB – Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology IN
23 MCGU - McGill University CA
24 AU – Alberta University CA
25 VN - Veneto Nanotech IT
26 DNV – Det Norske Veritas NO
27 NLAB – Nanologica AB SE
28 STC - Straticell BE
29 GAT – Grimm Aerosol Technik GmbH DE
30 QUANTIS CH
31 CRF - FIAT IT
32 PHA - Philips Research NL
33 ARK - ARKEMA F
34 UMass – University of Massachusetts USA
35 NEU – Northeastern University USA