The Australian Greens have pledged their support for a national, mandatory and publicly available register of all nanomaterials in commercial use. This has been a past call from the Australian Council of Trade Unions and the (now defunct) Australian Nano Business Forum. Yet Labor Government Innovation Minister Kim Carr has ruled out support for a register, citing nano's economic potential. Meanwhile, despite their past emphasis on building public trust in nanotechnology oversight, Liberals and the National Party failed to answer the FOE federal election policy questionnaire. 

Australian workers and employers are flying blind when it comes to management of nano’s risks in the workplace, according to a report from Safe Work Australia. The federal agency commissioned a review of 50 Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). 84% of the MSDS “did not provide adequate and accurate information sufficient to inform an occupational risk assessment for nanomaterial contained in the product”. 11 out of 12 MSDS relating to carbon nanotubes described their risk as equivalent to that of graphite, despite some forms of carbon nanotubes having been demonstrated to cause asbestos-like disease.

It may be winter in the southern hemisphere, but in the northern hemisphere the nano-sunscreen safety debate has been heating up. Following a challenge from Andrew Maynard on his 2020 Science blog to specify a worst case scenario health outcome from using nano-sunscreens, Friends of the Earth Australia and United States responded. The subsequent debate is ongoing. Do you think regulators should carry out safety assessment on nano-sunscreens before they can be sold? Do you think nano-ingredients should be labelled? Why not have your say?

Further to the release of our anonymous consumer survey of 140 sunscreen and cosmetics companies, FOEA has just published our updated autumn 2010 Safe Sunscreen Guide. The guide includes information on the use of nanoparticles, chemical UV absorbers and fragrances in Australian sunscreens and cosmetics containing sunscreens. For frequently asked questions and answers about nanoparticles used in sunscreens and cosmetics, click here.

A new FOEA survey has found a high degree of industry secrecy regarding the use of nanoparticles in sunscreens and cosmetics. Nearly half the companies included in our anonymous consumer survey failed to give a straight answer about their use of nanoparticles, even after being told the person asking the questions used that company’s products and was concerned about health risks.

The European Parliament's Environment Committee has affirmed its earlier vote to prohibit foods containing nanomaterials being sold in Europe until they undergo validated new risk assessment, are proven safe, are approved by ethical and environmental assessment and face mandatory labelling on products.

Are you concerned that nano-ingredients in foods sold in Australia don't have to be labelled? Please make a submission to Australia's national review of food labelling and add your voice to those calling for nano and GM ingredients in foods to face strict labelling to give us all a choice about eating them. Some dot points for you to consider including in your submission are below.

Following moves in the United Kingdom and Australia, Canada has taken action to ban the use of manufactured nanomaterials and nanotechnology in organics. The Organic and Non-GMO Report reveals that an amendment was added to Canada’s national organic rules banning nanotechnology as a “Prohibited Substance or Method.”

The Australian newspaper reports on the worst damage to the Great Barrier reef ever caused by a ship. The 100,000 tonne coal carrier the Shen Neh 1 "pulverised" a 3km section of the reef in the 9 days it was stranded on the coral. Now scientists warn that anti-fouling paint from the ship, left everywhere they have looked so far, could cause considerable long-term damage to the reef. FOEA asks, would the reef's recovery be further set back if this were anti-bacterial nano-paint, and what action is required to ensure that manufactured nanomaterials are not posing unacceptable risks to our marine environment?