The past few decades of managing the uncertain risks for human and environment associated with nanomaterials have provided crucial insights for ensuring the safe and sustainable development of advanced materials.

The EU-funded HARMLESS project used the Early Awareness and Action System for Advanced Materials (Early4AdMa) to identify potential safety and sustainability issues of various inorganic aerogel mats. The approach required additional hazard data and exposure scenarios to be fully useful for ranking the different types of materials.