HARMLESS project video release

Advanced materials with improved properties are being developed which should be safe for ecosystems and humans and protect our natural resources.These advanced materials are often complex mixtures of multiple components for which routine approaches towards clarifying their safety are of limited use. HARMLESS provides new and integrated tools, which assess the safety of advanced materials during their entire life cycle.

One particular challenge to safety assessment is the use of nanostructures and matrix-embedded small particles, which are becoming more widely used in various products such as paints. When paints are exposed to harsh weather, they degrade over time and small particles, potentially including sizes of less than 100nm, or 100 times smaller than a strand of hair, can be released into the air, soil or water. Similarly, small particles can be released from certain plant protection products when bags are transferred, or when the product is sprayed onto fields.

In both cases, the release of small particles can be harmful to human health, particularly when particles are inhaled, and to the environment, especially since small particles often react stronger and may be transported differently throughout air, soil, water and organisms than large particles. HARMLESS provides new and integrated tools for safety assessment of products containing advanced materials throughout their entire lifetime.

This Safe-by-Design approach refines the components of newly developed products with respect to shape, composition and many other parameters, during the various stages of product development until an adequate balance of safety and functionality is reached. HARMLESS supports industry in making the right decisions on the most sustainable and harmless materials to choose for making functional and safe consumer products for a wide range of different sectors from construction, to catalysis, manufacturing, and agriculture.