Nanotechnology Project

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Risk, Environmental, Health and Safety

Also see our Inventory of Environment, Health and Safety Research.

  • news/archive June 25, 2008 Use of Nanomaterials in Food Packaging Poses Regulatory Challenges Engineered nanoscale materials (ENMs), which contain novel properties that offer potential benefits for use in food packaging, raise new safety evaluation challenges for regulators and industry, according to a report released today by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN) and the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA).
  • events/archive June 5, 2008 *POSTPONED - Small is Beautiful: A European View of Nanotech Cosmetics and Safety BusinessWeek magazine claims the $60 billion international beauty products industry is “making a big bet on nanotech.” Today, nearly a hundred cosmetics are in the Project’s online inventory of consumer products. How does a company like Paris-based cosmetics leader L’Oreal—which ranks No. 6 among nanotechnology patent holders in the U.S.— apply “The Precautionary Principle” to nanotechnology cosmetic products?
  • news/archive May 28, 2008 Tuning in to Carbon Nanotube Safety For several days last week, newspapers across the country and around the world reported on a new research study recently published in Nature Nanotechnology with headlines like “Nanotechnology cancer risk found” and “Nanotubes as deadly as asbestos.” This week National Public Radio’s “Science Friday” and “The Kojo Nnamdi Show” interviewed the Project’s chief science advisor Dr. Andrew Maynard, enabling listeners to get behind the headlines and pose questions directly to one of the study’s authors. audio
  • news/archive May 19, 2008 Carbon Nanotubes That Look Like Asbestos, Behave Like Asbestos A major study published today in Nature Nanotechnology suggests some forms of carbon nanotubes could be as harmful as asbestos if inhaled in sufficient quantities. The study used established methods to see if specific types of nanotubes have the potential to cause mesothelioma — a cancer of the lung lining that can take 30-40 years to appear following exposure. video audio
  • news/archive May 14, 2008 Public Trust Is The ‘Dark Horse’ In Nanotechnology’s Future Without an improved governance structure, the benefits of nanotechnology may never be realized because the public will not trust the cutting-edge technology. As part of major nanotechnology legislation, federal officials must bring together the best minds in the nation to develop a governance structure that will work with nanotechnology to ensure potential risks are minimized and that consumer confidence is maximized, said David Rejeski, director of the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, at an April 24 Senate science and technology subcommittee hearing. video
  • publications/archive May 1, 2008 How to Reduce Your Firm’s Risk and Increase Revenues Related to Nanotechnology With limited time and resources, how can your firm start to think about or expand on its environmental, health, and safety (EHS) practices related to the use of nanomaterials? This pamphlet presents eight suggestions to assist nano firms in addressing EHS issues associated with the production and use of nanomaterials.
  • events/archive May 1, 2008 International Council on Nanotechnology Launches Global Research Needs Assessment Last year, more than 70 experts from 13 countries - in academia, industry, governments and non-governmental agencies - accepted that challenge. In an unprecedented international collaboration, the International Council on Nanotechnology (ICON) convened two workshops aimed at defining a set of research needs for assessing potential nanotechnology impacts.
  • publications/archive April 24, 2008 Congressional Testimony - National Nanotechnology Initiative: Charting the Course for Reauthorization New nanotechnology consumer products are coming on the market at the rate of three to four per week, a finding based on the latest update to the nanotechnology consumer product inventory. Today, in testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation, PEN Project Director David Rejeski cited Ace Silver Plus—another of the nine nano toothpastes in the inventory—as an example of the upsurge in nanotechnology consumer products in stores. The hearing marks the start of U.S. Senate debate on the future direction of the annual $1.5 billion federal investment in nanotechnology research and development .
  • news/archive April 24, 2008 New Nanotech Products Hitting the Market at the Rate of 3-4 Per Week New nanotechnology consumer products are coming on the market at the rate of three to four per week, a finding based on the latest update to the nanotechnology consumer product inventory maintained by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN). The number of consumer products using nanotechnology has grown from 212 to 609 since PEN launched the world’s first online inventory of manufacturer-identified nanotech goods in March 2006.
  • news/archive April 19, 2008 Europe Spends Nearly Twice as Much as U.S. on Nanotech Risk Research A new analysis by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN) indicates that European nations are investing nearly twice as much as the U.S. in research primarily aimed at addressing the potential risks of nanotechnology. The analysis also highlights a substantial over-inflation of the federal government’s nanotechnology risk-research investment figures for the U.S.
  • news/archive April 16, 2008 Limited Transparency In Federal Nanotech Research May Hamper Development Today at a House Science and Technology Committee’s hearing, testimony from Dr. Andrew Maynard highlighted shortfalls in the current U.S. Government strategy. According to Dr. Maynard, without clear leadership and more transparency in federal risk research investment, the emergence of safe nanotechnologies will be a happy accident, rather than a foregone conclusion.
  • publications/archive April 9, 2008 PEN 11 - Room at the Bottom? State and local governments often have adopted trailblazing initiatives to address environmental, health and safety concerns in advance or in lieu of federal action. With nanotechnology, an emerging field of science with unknown risks, this practice is continuing, a landmark study has found.
  • events/archive April 2, 2008 New Nanotechnology Television Series Does “Sweat the Small Stuff” The Project and National Science Foundation will host the Washington, DC, premiere event for the television series “Nanotechnology: The Power of Small”. The series’ three programs explore critical questions about nanotechnology’s potential impact on privacy, the environment and human health and will include remarks by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, a co-chair of the Congressional Nanotechnology Caucus.
  • news/archive March 7, 2008 EPA Issues Major Enforcement Action on Nano-Pesticide The Environmental Protection Agency has made the decision to fine technology company IOGEAR more than $200,000 for selling unregistered nano-pesticides. At issue are antibacterial claims made by IOGEAR related to its computer peripheral products. All of the products in question are listed in the Project’s inventory of nanotechnology consumer products.
  • publications/archive February 28, 2008 First Annual Conference on Nanotechnology Law, Regulation and Policy Keynote address from Michael R. Taylor at the First Annual Conference on Nanotechnology Law, Regulation and Policy.