2012 09 13 Teleconference Minutes

Exposure through the Life Cycle CoR Teleconference

Draft Minutes

September 13, 2012

Participants: Rick Canady (CoR co-chair, ILSI Research Foundation), Hildo Krop (IVAM), Thomas Kuhlbusch (CoR co-chair, Institute of Energy and Environmental Technology e.V.), Jerome Rose (Centre Européen de Recherche et d’Enseignement des Géosciences de l’Environnement),Stacey Standridge (National Nanotechnology Coordination Office), and Gabrielle Windgasse (California Department of Public Health)

Handouts:

• Draft presentation overview for Helsinki breakout session from Gabriele

Minutes:

 I.            Planning for Helsinki Meeting

The second EU-U.S.: Bridging NanoEHS Research Efforts workshop will be held in Helsinki, Finland on October 25-26, 2012. The primary focus of the workshop will be building up the six Communities, with a breakout session on each CoR theme. The breakout session on Exposure through the Life Cycle will have one speaker for each of the Working Groups that were identified on the July conference call.

The first Working Group is led by Gabriele and will create a framework for compiling key information on availability and focus of guidelines and methods to identify and quantify nanoparticles in various environmental media. Gabriele presented an overview on the data she collected and organized into 3 matrixes: one on regulatory requirements/methods; one on industrial methods; and one on academic methods (see the attached document for more information). She emphasized the need for ongoing Community input to keep the document as up-to-date and comprehensive as possible. In the future this project could produce a flowchart for analyzing unknown engineered nanomaterials, develop criteria for Standard Operating Procedures for analytical methods, or identify gaps in available methods.

In the discussion that followed, suggestions were made to frame the approach as a relational database rather than a static two dimensional matrix and add a field for the date of an item is added or edited, to add more structure to each matrix.  The proposal was also made, to focus on prioritizing data gaps instead of identifying all data gaps, and to describe the role of this tool in integrating information. The current task for this project is populating the matrixes. Once the matrixes are more complete, it should be converted into a relational database. This database could be developed in collaboration with the Databases & Ontologies CoR. Linkages to the GoodNanoGuide (http://www.goodnanoguide.org/tiki-index.php?page=HomePage) should also be kept in mind.

CoR members can send suggestions on or data for the matrixes as well as information on how you would like to use the information to Gabriele (gabriele.windgasse@cdph.ca.gov) by September 21, 2012. Gabriele will have a draft of her presentation slides by September 30, 2012.

The second Working Group is led by Teresa Fernandes (who sent her apologies for missing the call) and will focus on measuring nanomaterials before, during, and after transport and release in soils and sediments. Thomas will contact Teresa to see if she is still willing to lead the group and present at the workshop. Thomas and Rick will propose an alternative speaker if necessary. Suggestions for the soils project should be sent to Teresa Fernandes (t.fernandes@hw.ac.uk) by September 21, 2012.

Jerome agreed to serve as rapporteur for the Exposure through the Life Cycle CoR at the workshop.

1. II.            Mechanisms for Sharing Information and Documents

The CoR website is up and running (https://us-eu.org/communities-of-research/exposure-through-the-life-cycle-with-material-characterization/). This website provides a venue to share documents publicly and privately among Community members. Stacey will send information out on how to use the website (e.g. how to edit documents).

1. III.            Outreach

Stacey will develop a flier for the Exposure through the Life Cycle CoR for distribution at conferences and to interested parties. The Community may also host information sessions as relevant conferences. The Risk Assessment CoR will be doing quite a bit of outreach at upcoming conferences this fall. Stacey will talk to the Risk Assessment CoR co-chair for more information about their plans for outreach. CoR members can send suggestions for conferences and events where outreach may be appropriate to Stacey (sstandridge@nnco.nano.gov).

Action Items:

• CoR members
  • Send suggestions on or data for the matrixes as well as information on how you would like to use the information to Gabriele (gabriele.windgasse@cdph.ca.gov) by September 21, 2012
  • Send suggestions on the soils project to Teresa Fernandes (t.fernandes@hw.ac.uk) by September 21, 2012
  • Send suggestions for conferences and events where outreach may be appropriate to Stacey (sstandridge@nnco.nano.gov)
  • Gabriele
    • Draft breakout session presentation by September 30, 2012.
    • Stacey
      • Send information out on how to use the website (e.g. how to edit documents)
      • Develop a flier for the CoR to distribute at conferences and to interested parties
      • Talk to the Risk Assessment CoR co-chair for more information about their plans for outreach