LGC
Standards’ range of reference nanomaterials
has recently been enhanced by the addition of the world’s first certified
reference material based on industry-sourced nanoparticles.

Developed
by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, the new reference
material will help ensure the comparability of nanoparticle measurements
worldwide, thereby facilitating trade and ensuring compliance with
legislation.

While
nanotechnology offers 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 20 nm. Silica nanoparticles are amongst the most
widely used nanoparticles and applications include polish whiteners and
dispersants. This is the first certified benchmark incorporating
industrial nanoparticles, and 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.

ERM-FD100
will enable producers of nanoparticles to monitor production quality
over time against a stable reference point and to assess the impact of
process improvements. Furthermore, the certified reference material will
contribute to establish market confidence that nanomaterial products
meet the technical specifications of their customers.

Jane
Firth, Sector Manager at LGC Standards said: “LGC Standards provides
laboratory quality management solutions, serving customers across a wide
range of industries, from pharmaceutical to food and from life science
to the materials industries. We are seeing increasing interest from all
these sectors for the opportunities nanoscience offers and with that, a
demand for relevant reference materials. LGC Standards offers a range of
reference nanomaterials to provide researchers with characterised
materials for use in their testing models—this material provides a
complementary reference point for nanoparticle measurement.”

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.

SOURCE: LGC Standards