New OECD Guidance on Safety Testing of Manufactured Nanomaterials Released

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), together with scientists from the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), has issued an updated guidance document on the safety testing of manufactured nanomaterials. The new publication aims to harmonise international testing practices and promote the safe use of nanotechnologies.

Building on earlier versions from 2010 and 2012, the updated guidance outlines general principles for sample preparation and dosimetry, as well as physical?chemical characterisation, ecotoxicological and toxicological testing. It provides a framework for obtaining reliable and comparable data across laboratories.

Nanomaterials, typically sized between 1 and 100 nanometres, exhibit unique properties that underpin their growing use in industries such as medicine, energy, electronics, and construction. However, their complexity continues to pose challenges for regulators – particularly in defining consistent testing methods and assessing potential environmental and health effects.

The OECD document also supports the broader transition towards alternative, non-animal testing strategies, including computational models and in?vitro techniques. The JRC contributes to these efforts by developing certified reference materials and maintaining open-access research facilities to strengthen data quality and reproducibility.

This new guidance marks an important step towards global standards for the safe and sustainable development of nanomaterials, aligned with the goals of the European Green Deal and the EU Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability.

Link to original news: https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/jrc-news-and-updates/new-guidance-supporting-safety-testing-manufactured-nanomaterials-2025-12-16_en?prefLang=de