Nanomaterial Regulation in the United States

Nanomaterial regulation in the United States is still very much in thedevelopmental stages. To date, there is no one national regulationfor nanomaterials. Instead, each lawmaking authority has individualresponsibility for chemicals or uses falling under their statutorymandates. This means that individual federal agencies, states, andlocal jurisdictions are in the process of developing nanomaterialregulation for their specific areas of concern. While most federalagencies, and several states, have begun the process of evaluatingnanomaterial regulation, nothing has developed into a permanentset of controls or guidelines. This includes environmental pro-tection, worker safety, cosmetics, insurance coverage, and relatedconcerns. The following discusses the regulatory efforts concerningnanomaterials in the United States. Readers are urged to check citedsources and newly formed resources on a regular basis as the area isfast moving and likely to change in the near future.