Nanotechnology is Unregulated: Is it Also Unsafe?

Andrew Maynard, chief scientist of the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies told Congress that its uncertainty over safe development of nanotechnologies hamstrings and hinders that development, according to a Project press release.

Currently carbon nanotubes can be purchased over the Internet by anyone with a credit card. Maynard makes a clear and definitive statement that the U.S. government is not doing enough to regulate the safety of these nano-materials. His remarks also apply to the hundreds of products that employ nanotechnologies and are currently on the market.

Maynard made his remarks on October 31 at a hearing before the U.S. Congress's House Science Committee. One of his statements was: "The materials safety data sheet for carbon nanotubes-which provides workers and safety personnel with information on proper handling procedures-treats these substances as graphite, the material used in pencils. But carbon nanotubes are as similar to pencil lead as the soot on my barbecue grill at home is to diamonds."

These lax and irresponsible regulations put workers and consumers at risk because the level of safety for nanotechnology has not yet been clearly established-it is still unknown as to whether these technologies can pose a health problem for humans. One of the five action recommendations that Maynard made to the House Science Committee was that a top-level government leader should be appointed to be responsible to initiate the action needed to ascertain the challenges nanotechnology poses in terms of harm to the environment, human health and safety.

Maynard also stated: "There is no doubt that nanotechnology has the potential to make the world a better place and that members of the National Nanotechnology Initiative have great intentions to do the right thing. But given what is at stake here-the quality of our environment, the future vitality of the American economy, and the health of workers and consumers-good intentions are not enough."

Maynard further said that the uncertainty caused by the gap in nanotechnology knowledge pertaining to safety in development and safety for consumers "hamstrings regulators, hinders nanobusiness, and confuses consumers." His point is that there is a serious knowledge gap between our understanding of the safety of nanotechnology and the rate at which nanotechnologies are entering commercial markets right now.

Nanotechnology is the production of carbon-based tubes and materials that are minutely small in the nanometer range of measurement: one nanometer is one billionth of a meter. There is no sound evidence that can be used to judge these nanomaterials as safe for people, the environment, or workers in nanotechnologies.

Maynard also called for clear risk strategy regulations and a federal advisory committee to review input from across a broad range of scientific, industrial, and governmental sectors. He also called for apportioning 10 percent of the U.S. government's nanotechnology research and development (R & D) budget to researching the impacts of nanotechnology on environment, health, and the safety of manufacturing and utilizing nanotechnologies. He also called for a partnership between private research enterprises and government research entities, with cost sharing between industry and government, with the goal of addressing critical questions relevant to oversight that require immediate answers.

"US government delays nanotechnology safety measures: Expert warns Congress that safety questions put nanotech enterprise at risk," Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies.