Regulation and Environmental Aspects of Graphene Oxide

• Published in: Graphene Oxide in Environmental Remediation Process pp. 23 - 33
• Main Authors: Pendolino, Flavio, Armata, Nerina
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland Springer International Publishing AG 2017; Springer International Publishing
• Series: SpringerBriefs in Applied Sciences and Technology
• Subjects: Disposal; Environment; Nanomaterials; Nanotechnology; Normative; Toxicity; Water supply & treatment
• ISBN: 9783319604282; 3319604287
• ISSN: 2191-530X; 2191-5318
• DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-60429-9_3

Applications of smart nanomaterials are expected to impact many aspects of life and promoting a substantial and advanced change in technologies. However, recently the toxicity of these very promising materials and their environmental impact has been questioned. Graphene oxide is not yet regulated by a specific normative, thus the parent definition for nanomaterials is adapted. This chapter presents the normative and regulations on the nanomaterials with particular attention for the EU area. Because of a legislative framework is not yet presented or incomplete, guidelines and definitions support normative in view of auxiliary results from scientific progress on smart nanomaterials. In addition, a provisorily ISO technical document is approaching to define and standardize the producers to work with a nano-object. As graphene oxide is a novel nanomaterial, environmental aspects, connected to its employment, are now limited and further scientific understanding is needed to establish the eventual health and ecosystem risks.