Thierry-Mieg Veronique's blog

Safe handling of nanotechnology

Andrew D. Maynard, Robert J. Aitken, Tilman Butz, Vicki Colvin, Ken Donaldson, Günter Oberdörster, Martin A. Philbert, John Ryan, Anthony Seaton, Vicki Stone, Sally S. Tinkle, Lang Tran, Nigel J. Walker and David B. Warheit

Andrew D. Maynard is at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

The pursuit of responsible nanotechnologies can be tackled through a series of grand challenges, argue Andrew D. Maynard and his co-authors.

in Nature, vol444/16,November 2006

free download after registration:
http://www.nature.com/materials/index.ht...

The potential risks of nanomaterials: a review carried out for ECETOC
Paul J.A. Borm, David Robbins, Stephan Haubold, Thomas Kuhlbusch, Heinz Fissan, Ken Donaldson, Roel P.F. Schins, Vicki Stone, Wolfgang Kreyling, Juergen Lademann, Jean Krutmann, David Warheit, Eva Oberdorster

Those stakeholders who want to provide R&D are invited to write to European Commission by 28 February 2006.

Contributions on the topics :

The draft white paper describes the technology, and provides a discussion of the potential environmental benefits of nanotechnology and its applications that can foster sustainable use of resources. Risk management issues and the Agency’s statutory mandates are outlined, followed by an extensive discussion of risk assessment issues. The paper identifies research needs for both environmental applications and implications of nanotechnology and concludes with recommendations on next steps for addressing science policy issues and research needs. Supplemental information is provided in a number of appendices.

Download the full report.

Summary

• Japan and the UK, like other developed countries, are investing substantially in nanotechnologies. However, disproportionately small amounts are being spent on research to address concerns over the potential negative health and environmental impacts of nanomaterials. Significant funding is urgently needed, initially from governments, to undertake the necessary research.

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Safety and health practitioners recognize a lack of consistent guidance for the safe handling of nanomaterials. This information gap is critical because of the unknown risk that nanomaterials pose to workers. Experimental studies in rats have shown that at equivalent mass doses, insoluble ultrafine particles (smaller than 100 nm) are more potent than large particles of similar composition in causing pulmonary inflammation and lung tumors. Whether these effects would occur in exposed workers is not known. If engineered nanoparticles involve the same characteristics that seem to be associated with ultrafine particles, they may raise the same concerns. The greater hazard may relate to the larger number and total surface area of nanoparticles compared with that of the larger particles at the same mass concentration. Until these preliminary findings and hypotheses are confirmed, we can have no firm knowledge about the health risks that nanoparticles pose to exposed workers. However, to increase the likelihood of safe work with nanomaterials, we should consider using control measures that are known to work for larger particles. In terms of control measures, nanoparticles appear to have no major physical features that would make them behave differently from larger particles in a control system. Therefore, it may be useful for those working with nanomaterials to employ the range of control technologies, work practices, and personal protective equipment demonstrated to be effective with other fine and ultrafine particles.

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Abstract:

Ultrafine aerosols are aerosols made up of particles smaller than 100 nm. In comparison with their source materials, such nanoparticles have different optical, electrical, mechanical, and chemical properties. This is often quite useful in nanotechnology for creating nanostructured materials and even components and functional units. Ultrafine particles are not only unique to this field of hi-tech; they are present in our everyday lives and at various conventional workplaces. Experiments on animals in particular have indicated that the inhalation of poorly soluble ultrafine material particles can cause inflammatory reactions in the lungs and even lung tumours. Although there are hypotheses on the mechanics of ultrafine particles, no clear findings are as yet available. In August 2002, experts from Germany, Finland, Austria, Switzerland, and the USA presented their research results and findings on the topic of ultrafine particles at an interdisciplinary workshop held by the Berufsgenossenschaftliches Institut für Arbeitsschutz - BIA (BG-Institute for Occupational Safety and Health). The following topics were handled at the workshop: medical aspects, toxicology of ultrafine particles/epidemiology, physics of ultrafine particles/measurement technology, ultrafine aerosols at industrial workplaces, and discussions on whether exposure limit values should be introduced. This report relates the presentations and excerpts of the results of the discussion on each topic.

Read more here.

Towards a European Strategy

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. What is nanotechnology?