Vireo team publishes an article about testing plan for safe commercialization of nanomaterials

Vireo Advisors, in collaboration with American Process Inc. (API), published the article “Establishing the safety of novel bio-based cellulose nanomaterials for commercialization” in the journal NanoImpact that demonstrates how to proactively develop an industrially relevant safety testing plan for nanomaterials. The testing plan supports commercialization efforts and fills key data gaps prior to commercial production. The types of toxicity tests were chosen based on recommendations from regulatory agencies, and include physico-chemical characterization, human health effects testing, and environmental testing. The study was based on API’s BioPlus® lignin coated cellulose fibrils and BioPlus® lignin coated cellulose crystals, and showed that these materials are non-toxic, even at high concentrations. 

In general, ‘negative data’ (results that show no negative effects) are not widely published in journals, though these types of data help regulatory and industrial efforts to produce safer materials and help minimize unnecessary repetition of experiments and waste of resources.