Integrative approach in a safe by design context combining risk, life cycle and socio-economic assessment for safer and sustainable nanomaterials

Abstract

Moving towards safe and sustainable innovations is an international policy ambition. In the on-hand manuscript, a concept combining safe by design and sustainability was implemented through the integration of human and environmental risk assessment, life cycle assessment as well as an assessment of the economic viability. The result is a nested and iterative process in form of a decision tree that integrates these three elements in order to achieve sustainable, safe and competitive materials, products or services. This approach, embedded into the stage-gate-model for safe by design, allows to reduce the uncertainty related to the assessment of risks and impacts by improving the quality of the data collected along each stage. In the second part of the manuscript, the application is shown for a case study dealing with the application of nanoparticles for Li-Ion batteries. One of the general conclusions out of this case study is that data gaps are a key aspect in view of the reliability of the results.

Nanomaterial Ecotoxicology in the Terrestrial and Aquatic Environment: A Systematic Review

“…In our era, it is necessary to point to a rational science-based approach to minimize the risk for health, focusing on developing strategies for sustainable (safe) nano-production, promoting health policies, and embracing actions at an individual and social level. Since NMs should be as safe as possible for the environment and human health, the nanotechnology world must focus on a “safer-by-design” approach, based on three major challenges: (1) identify and develop less hazardous NMs (safer products by design); (2) evaluate the risks during consumer usage (safer use of products); (3) minimize waste (safer industrial production discharge) [ 74 ]. Thus, this approach focuses on designing NMs, promoting knowledge and learning, and minimizing risks at all of the stages, from manufacture to usage to the release on the environment.…”

Sustainable Coatings on Metallic Alloys as a Nowadays Challenge

“…As an example, in a company that used pure silicon nanoparticles to increase the performance of batteries, the SbD concept implementation helped in lowering the toxicity threat for the workers, as well as lowering the risk of explosion, while achieving higher stability and performance. To do so, the nanoparticles' size was increased from 40 nm to 75 nm to reduce the alveolar deposition and the nanoparticles were coated with amorphous carbon, which led to increased performance and lower risk of explosion [29,31].…”

Nanosafety: An Evolving Concept to Bring the Safest Possible Nanomaterials to Society and Environment

“…The general concept is basically a multiobjective optimization process, and a novel integration approach for decision-making was recently developed under the scope of the ASINA project through mathematical algorithms solving a multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) model [ 228 ]. Nevertheless, even with the advances in the SSbD approach, there are still challenges in determining how to properly provide strategic guidelines regarding safety and sustainability issues among all the stakeholders, from the nanotechnology innovators to the regulatory policy-makers [ 225 , 229 , 230 ].…”