Nanotechnology is a fast growing sector with ever increasing variety and complexity of new materials. Currently, risk assessment is struggling to keep up with the innovation and hence more emphasis will need to be placed on Safe by Design, whereby health, safety and environment are taken into account early in the innovation chain to ensure that risks are managed properly. The SbD concept for nanomaterials is currently being developed and tested in a number of EU FP7 and H2020 projects (NANOREG, PROSAFE, NANOREG2). Exposure plays an important role in this area, as Safe by Design refers not just to reducing the hazard potential of the nanomaterials but also to reducing the release and exposure potential of products and processes. This paper will summarise the results of a two day workshop organised by the EU-US Community of Research working group on Exposure to nanomaterials through its life cycle, on 26-28 April 2016 in Aix-en-Provence, France. This workshop brought together leading exposure scientists in the field of nanotechnology from Europe and the US and aimed to develop exposure-driven risk assessment approaches and how such approaches can be used within the safe by design concept. It will also provide an introduction to the symposium on "Safe by Design for nanomaterials, products and processes: the role of exposure science".
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