The European Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) has published a new study evaluating nanomaterials applications in biocidal, plant protection, and fertilising products used in agriculture.
Nanotechnology is increasingly being investigated for agricultural products, replacing traditional products with nano-enabled alternatives to enhance product efficiency and promote more sustainable agricultural practices. However, only a few nano-enabled agro-inputs, particularly in plant protection, have reached the market.
The report aims to address knowledge gaps in the applications, exposure, hazards, and environmental and health impacts of manufactured nanomaterials in biocidal, plant protection, and fertilising products. The literature search specifically examines how nanotechnology is being used in various sectors, replacing traditional formulations and products with nano-enabled alternatives.
To address the challenges concerning the use of nanomaterials in agriculture, the authors made some recommendations to ensure that sufficient and reliable information is available for both current and next generation nano-agrochemicals. These measures aim to balance agricultural productivity with health and environmental considerations.
The study “Collection and review of information on nanomaterial-based and nano-enabled plant protection products, biocidal products and fertilising products” was commissioned by the European Union Observatory for Nanomaterials (EUON), which is hosted and maintained by ECHA. EUON is funded by the European Commission to provide information about existing nanomaterials on the EU market. The work of the EUON is to improve the availability of reliable information on nanomaterials to the public, workers, and companies in general, and SMEs in particular. To address important knowledge gaps, EUON runs two review studies on relevant and emergent topics per year. The study was conducted by Innovamol Srl, Modena (Italy).
Further information: https://euon.echa.europa.eu/view-article/-/journal_content/title/new-study-on-nanomaterial-applications-for-agriculture-published
