Nanotechnology holds considerable promise in many technological areas and industrial sectors and the application of nanoscience to everyday products means they can be made lighter, stronger, cleaner and more effective. Nanomaterials are now used in a wide range of applications from food packaging and sunscreens to surface coatings and sports equipment. With the increasing presence of nanomaterials in new products, there has been a substantial increase in research into their manufacture, characterisation and applications and this has been matched by growth in demand for characterised reference materials.
One of the most comprehensive nanomaterial research programmes is being carried out by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials (WPMN).
Dr Christoph Klein, representing the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre - Institute for Health and Consumer Protection (IHCP), on the WPMN, said: “At IHCP, our primary goal is to provide scientific support to European Union policy regarding nanotechnology and public health in a sustainable environment. Within the WPMN, we have focused our work on a priority list of representative Manufactured Nanomaterials for which development of data would support characterisation, measurement, toxicological and ecotoxicological testing, and risk assessment or safety evaluation of Manufactured Nanomaterials.”
The range of reference nanomaterials used within the OECD WPMN international testing programme and released by the European Commission JRC are now available from LGC Standards. They include: multi-walled carbon nanotubes, silver nanoparticles, titanium dioxide, cerium oxide, zinc oxide, and silicon dioxide.
Jane Firth, Sector Manager at LGC Standards, commented: "LGC Standards provides laboratory quality management solutions, serving customers across a wide range of industries, from pharmaceuticals to food and from life science to the materials industries. Nanoscience has applications across all these sectors and we are extremely pleased to add nanomaterials to our range of 70,000 reference materials. These reference nanomaterials provide researchers with characterised materials for use in their testing models."
These reference materials are available from LGC Standards (www.lgcstandards.com), the division of LGC that provides products and services to support measurement in the laboratory. For prices and ordering information, please email: askus@lgcstandards.com or tel: +44 (0)20 8943 8480.
About LGC Standards
LGC Standards provides products and services to improve measurement and quality control within the laboratory, and is part of LGC, whose Science & Technology Division acts as the UK National Measurement Institute for chemical and bioanalytical measurements. LGC Standards supplies over 70,000 reference materials, pharmaceutical impurity reference standards, proficiency testing and training in analytical quality. LGC Standards is headquartered in Teddington, Middlesex, UK. Its global centre for excellence in proficiency testing is located in Bury (Greater Manchester). LGC Standards has offices in France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, China, Russia and the UK, a joint venture presence in India, and representatives in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, Romania and Turkey.
About LGC
LGC (www.lgc.co.uk) is an international science-based company and market leader in analytical, forensic and diagnostic services and reference standards. A progressive and innovative enterprise, LGC operates in socially responsible fields underpinning the safety, health and security of the public and the regulation of industry, for UK government departments and blue chip clients.
LGC operates internationally through four divisions - LGC Forensics, LGC Genomics, LGC Standards and LGC Science & Technology, which includes specialist laboratories delivering contracts for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and supporting LGC's designated role as the UK's National Measurement Institute for chemical and bioanalytical measurement.
Our operations are extensively accredited to international quality standards such as ISO 17025. With headquarters in Teddington, South West London, the LGC Group employs 1,400 staff in 27 laboratories and centres across Europe and at sites in India and China. Privatised in 1996 and now majority-owned by funds managed by Bridgepoint, LGC was founded almost 170 years ago as the Laboratory of the Government Chemist - a statutory function maintained by LGC today.
