Nanotechnology research looks for answers to safety concerns

E. Clayton Teague

Currently the federal government is funding large efforts to realize the potential that nanotechnology holds for radically improved ways to detect and treat disease, higher efficiencies in energy and less wasteful means for manufacturing.

As these efforts to develop new engineered nanoscale materials and devices have grown, so too have efforts aimed at improving our understanding of nanomaterials and the potential risks that may arise from those properties.

This increased understanding has, in turn, guided public and private agencies' research programs on the environmental, health and safety implications of nanotechnology.

Nanotechnology is understanding and controlling materials at sizes of roughly one to 100 nanometers. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. For example, the sheet of newspaper you are reading this article on is 100,000 nanometers thick.

It is a truly transformational technology, promising widespread applications in many fields, ranging from energy and medicine to agriculture and manufacturing.

The National Nanotechnology Initiative, which was created in 2001, recognizes the need to evaluate the environmental and safety implications of this promising technology. This year alone, the initiative will support nearly $39 million in research and development. The primary purpose is to understand and address the potential risks to health and the environment posed by exposure to nanomaterials and nanoproducts.

Most nanotechnology-based products pose little chance for public exposure and, therefore, pose little risk to health or the environment. This is because most uses of nanotechnology today are in composites in which the nanoparticles are encased in a product, such as golf clubs or car bumpers, or in nanoscale structures that are part of larger devices such as in electronic circuits.

Contact with these items generally poses no greater threat than with products not containing engineered nanomaterials.

Concern is focused on potential risks due to exposure to the relatively small number of products that contain "free," or unbound, engineered nanomaterials, which may be inhaled, ingested or absorbed through the skin or that may find their way into the air, soil or water.

The greatest likelihood of exposure to engineered nanomaterials is during manufacture or use of nanoparticles - the same way fine particles in conventional industrial operations can be inhaled. The federal government, particularly the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and Occupational Safety and Health Administration, provides guidance that covers areas such as design and use of ventilation systems, personal protective equipment use and laboratory practices to minimize such exposure in the workplace.

The 24 federal agencies participating in the National Nanotechnology Initiative, including the Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy, Department of Defense, Environmental Protection Agency, National institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, are working together to understand and address the environmental and safety implications of nanotechnology.

One goal of these participating agencies is to address potential risks, and to put these issues in context.

Concerns about possible environmental and safety implications of nanomaterials are not confined to the United States - research needs are universal. In addition to the various activities within and among the federal agencies participating with the nanotechnology initiative, representatives from the initiative participate in a number of agencies on the international level.

Sharing of information, coordination of research agendas and collaboration on non-competitive issues will promote responsible development of nanotechnology worldwide.

The National Technology Initiative representatives are participating in the international Organization for Standardization, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and The International Dialogue on Responsible Research and Development of Nanotechnology. Each of these organizations has over 20 member countries. Among the goals of these organizations is the development of standardized tools and methods for measuring and monitoring exposure to chemicals and materials used in nanotechnology.

Yet, we know that much more needs to be done, and many questions remain unanswered. Research takes time, especially on a subject this complex. We already know that all nanomaterials are not created equal in terms of potential hazard or potential exposure. A carefully designed research plan, along with shared government and industry responsibility and collaboration should guide our efforts.

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