LGC Standards has introduced ERM-FD100, a certified reference material based on industry-sourced nanoparticles, which will help ensure the comparability of nanoparticle measurements worldwide.
Developed by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, the new reference material will help facilitate trade and ensure compliance with legislation.
While nanotechnology offers significant economic and social benefits, the increasing use of nanomaterials in consumer products, food, agriculture and medicinal applications has raised concerns about their safety.
High-quality measurements are the basis for reliable safety assessments, process improvement, quality control and the development of new applications of nanotechnology.
The new reference material (ERM-FD100) consists of silica nanoparticles of a nominal diameter of 20nm.
Silica nanoparticles are among the most widely used nanoparticles and applications include polish whiteners and dispersants.
ERM-FD100 provides the basis for reliable hazard assessments by providing a check that nanomaterials conform to the internationally accepted definition, as specified by the International Standardisation Organisation.
It will enable producers of nanoparticles to monitor production quality over time against a stable reference point and to assess the impact of process improvements.
The release of this certified reference material concludes several years of product development, in which the homogeneity and stability of the material were assessed.
Particle size was measured in collaboration with 33 laboratories from 11 different countries in Europe, America and Asia, bringing together expert knowledge from across the globe.
The material was assessed by different measurement techniques and allows producers of nanoparticles (independent from their final use) to test the size of their particles and check batch-to-batch variability to ensure the particles meet the intended production specifications.
