Recall of millions of FFP2 graphene masks
Thanks to an article in Mediapart, we learned of the recall by the French authorities of FFP2 masks containing graphene. These masks come from the Chinese manufacturer Shandong Shengquan, whose other category of masks was recalled in Canada last March, triggering a cascade of recalls thereafter. The note from Santé publique France was published on the ANSM website on May 25, without much publicity. Nearly 17 million of the 60 million masks ordered were distributed to caregivers in 2020. A risk assessment by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is reportedly underway .
As a reminder, on May 26, the Institut de recherche québécois en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) evaluated the toxicity and release of graphene nanoparticles contained in masks from the same manufacturer (but a different model), concluding that “the potential for exposure to graphene particles through inhalation is very low” but also that “in humans the risk is indeed present and may not be negligible”.
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Other news on the topic
Upcoming Nano Agenda
- Fête de la Science open day at the Laboratoire National de Métrologie et d’Essais (LNE)
- “Tiny, powerful, fascinating… Nanomaterials, and nanoparticles in particular, are at the heart of many innovations – but also of big questions. How do we observe them? How are they measured? What challenges do they pose for science and society? Come and explore a world that the eye cannot see… but which is already shaping the world of tomorrow”.
- Website: www.lne.fr/fr/evenements/fete-science-lne-ouvre-ses-portes
- E-learning program: awareness-raising for personnel who come into contact with nanomaterials during research, formulation, production, maintenance, cleaning, upkeep, etc., as well as safety coordinators or engineers, facility managers, heads of laboratories where nanoparticles are handled.
- Organizers: INSTN Grenoble (CEA)
- On the program:
- 1 – Introduction, definition and characteristics of nanomaterials
- 2 – Toxicity of nanomaterials: the state of knowledge
- 3 – Metrology and characterization of nanomaterials
- 4 – Prevention and protection against nanomaterials in the workplace
- 5 – Quiz: assessment of learning outcomes
- The 2-hour course can be viewed for one month from the date of registration.
- Website: https://instn.cea.fr/…risques-lies-aux-nanomateriaux…
- Scientific congress
- Object: Addressing critical research topics in nanomaterials, offering a dedicated space for knowledge exchange, networking, and collaboration on global nanotechnology innovations
- Website: https://scientificwisdom.org/conferences/nanomaterials.html