Coordination of European Research on Industrial Safety towards Smart and Sustainable Growth
Safe2energy
Safer life cycle of advanced 2D materials used in energy applications
Bidimensional (2D) materials such as black phosphorus and hexagonal boron nitride are increasingly explored for energy conversion and storage applications because they can deliver multifunctional properties and improved battery performance. As these advanced materials move towards wider use, concerns arise regarding their potential impacts on human health and the environment across their life cycle, including manufacturing, use, and end-of-life stages. For many novel 2D materials, hazard profiles, exposure pathways and environmental fate remain insufficiently characterised, which limits the ability to implement safe and sustainable innovation aligned with EU Green Deal objectives. In addition, the rapid pace of materials development can outstrip the availability of practical risk assessment and risk management tools that translate laboratory evidence into operational guidance for industry. Safe2energy addresses these gaps by evaluating hazards and risks associated with selected 2D materials used in energy applications and by linking (eco)toxicological evidence with life-cycle and risk management perspectives to support safer material selection and deployment.
The project investigates the human toxicity and ecotoxicity profiles of selected 2D materials relevant for energy applications, focusing on black phosphorus and hexagonal boron nitride, and examines how material properties influence hazard outcomes. It explores exposure-relevant scenarios across the life cycle, including potential releases during production, use and disposal, and how these scenarios can be represented in laboratory testing and assessment models. The project examines how ecotoxicity and human toxicity evidence can be combined with life cycle assessment approaches to identify hotspots and trade-offs between performance benefits and safety impacts. A further question concerns how risk assessment and risk management measures can be derived from the evidence base, including practical mitigation recommendations for handling, processing and end-of-life. The project also investigates how uncertainties and data gaps for novel 2D materials can be addressed to provide decision-relevant guidance to stakeholders.
Safe2energy will deliver experimental evidence on the human toxicity and ecotoxicity of black phosphorus and hexagonal boron nitride using complementary in vitro and environmental test approaches. The project will provide life cycle inventory elements and life-cycle-informed assessments to identify stages and conditions where risks and impacts are most significant. It will deliver an integrated risk assessment perspective linking hazard characterisation, exposure scenarios and risk mitigation measures tailored to energy-related use cases. Outputs include comparative analyses across materials, recommendations for safe handling and processing, and guidance supporting safer innovation and material selection in energy technologies. Dissemination outputs will support uptake by research and industrial stakeholders and contribute to the evidence base for governance of emerging advanced materials.
The project is implemented over 24 months through five coordinated work packages. - WP1 – Project management: ensures overall coordination, reporting, quality assurance and project administration. - WP2 – Human toxicity studies: performs hazard characterisation focusing on human-relevant endpoints and exposure-relevant testing for selected 2D materials. - WP3 – Ecotoxicity studies: assesses environmental hazard profiles and fate-relevant endpoints for the selected materials under realistic exposure conditions. - WP4 – Life cycle, risk assessment and risk management: integrates hazard data with life-cycle considerations to identify hotspots and define risk mitigation measures. - WP5 – Dissemination: communicates results, supports stakeholder engagement and promotes uptake of recommendations and guidance.
TUKES
Finland
OSALAN
Spain
FIOH
Finland
