Nanosafety: Too early to call
The nano zone is sufficiently new and physically different that it is not yet possible to properly risk assess particles manufactured in nanoscale. Even substances with a long history of use can behave in unfamiliar ways when manufactured in nanoform. At present, even identifying the presence of most manufactured nanoparticles is problematic, let alone determining their safety.
Not all nanotech products will not necessarily be harmful but for now, it is largely impossible to say whether a nanomaterial will be benign or harmful over its lifetime. That is why it is generally agreed that risk (as distinct from harm) should be presumed – and that a precautionary approach is required.
The “to do” list is enormous. By some reckonings, proper risk assessment may be decades away. The following reports detail the task ahead:
- US National Research Council – A Research Strategy for Environmental, Health, and Safety Aspects of Engineered Nanomaterials (2012)
- US Office of the Inspector General – EPA Needs to Manage Nanomaterial Risks More Effectively (2011)
- The EU funded research project, ENRHES (2009)
- The EU Scientific Committees on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (2009)
- The UK Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution - Novel Materials in the Environment (2008), and
- The UK-funded ERMEGNANO (2008)
