As a background for this Guidance Manual (GM), the 5th OECD WPMN plenary meeting agreed to establish a Steering Group (SG9) to look into the potential of applications based on the use of manufactured nanomaterials to address major environmental challenges such as climate change, pollution of water, soil, and air, and natural resource depletion, as well as the potential negative impacts that such new technologies may have on environment and health. SG9’s main focus is enhancing the knowledge base about life cycle aspects of manufactured nanomaterials, as well as positive and negative impacts on environment and health of certain nano-enabled applications at their different stages of development. As part of its programme a workshop was held on the Environmentally Sustainable Use of Manufactured
Nanomaterials. This event took place on 14 September 2011 in Rome, Italy. Its basic objectives were to further improve the international scientific dialogue in the field of life-cycle aspects of manufactured nanomaterials. Its main overall conclusions were as follows:
? Life cycle analysis (LCA) per se is an important tool for providing a framework to evaluate the negative and positive environmental implications of a product, process, or technology that can also be employed for nanomaterials. However, it must be applied thoughtfully, keeping in mind the applications of nanomaterials, in order to provide answers that will be useful to decision-makers.
? It is key establishing linkages between LCA and risk assessment (Flemström et al. 2004), since any LCA working group will need risk assessment information to complete an LCA. Given the fact that there is no concept of functional unit in risk assessment, such linkages can only be established if both LCA practitioners and risk assessors share the LCA objectives or problem formulation and iterative results with each other.
? In line with other nano-LCA workgroups, the ISO 14040/44 framework is a suitable harmonized, user-friendly and validated framework applicable to nanomaterials and nanotechnology.
