What about nano?
None of the laws described here mention ‘nano’, but this does not mean that nano-based pesticides and fertilisers escape regulation. These laws are thought to be broad enough to cover nano- as well as conventional- types of products.
Concerns have been raised, however, that even though current laws apply to nano-based pesticides and fertilisers, they might not be entirely suitable for this purpose. Current laws treat nano- and conventional- products in the same way, even though nano-versions may in fact be quite different.
This could create difficulties because some nano-based pesticides and fertilisers may be more toxic, persistent and likely to bioaccumulate than the same products in conventional form. However, they would still undergo thorough testing in the same way as products containing bulk-scale substances.
Inadequate safety assessment methods
There are also concerns that, even though existing laws are designed to ensure that pesticides and fertilisers do not adversely affect human health and the environment, we do not have the proper assessment tools to determine whether nanomaterials are safe to use.
In a report recently published by the European Food Safety Authority, it is argued that conventional toxicology and risk assessment methods can in general be applied to engineered nanomaterials, but they will need to be adapted and refined as more information becomes available.
A great deal of research is being conducted to develop nano-specific safety testing methods. For further information, see the Introduction to Law and Nano page.
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