Iranian National Standards regarding safety, health and environmental aspects of nanotechnology: A review

In recent years, the rapid growth of nanotechnology has posed challenges related to health and safety of nanomaterials. Standardization is one of the first steps in assessing and controlling the risks posed by nanotechnology. Therefore, this study was conducted to review the national standards of Iran regarding the safety, health and environmental aspects of nanotechnology.

This study was conducted in 2021, by searching in the portal of Iranian National Standards Organization (INSO). The search was provided by keywords "nano" and "nanotechnology". The inclusion criteria were the standards related to safety, health and environmental aspects of nanotechnology. A validated checklist was used to evaluate the quality of the standards. Statistical analysis was also performed using SPSS.22 software.

Out of 104 standards, 14 standards were related to safety, health and the environment. Most of the standards were translations of ISO and ASTM standards. Content analysis showed that the standards, in the first years, were about the characteristics of nanomaterials; However, in recent years, they have been developed about preventing exposure to nanomaterials and risk management. Statistical analysis showed that most of the quality evaluation criteria were at the "good" level.

The existence of more than 100 standards, shows the importance of standardization of nanotechnology in the country. Although most of the standards are related to nanotechnology safety in workplaces, we need to increase public and specialized awareness to implement and apply the standards, at the national level.