Want to buy a bag of
carbon nanotubes -- in quantities from a few grams to hundreds of kilograms
(100 kilograms = approximately 220 pounds)? With a credit card and Internet
access, you can. But is the U.S. government doing enough to ensure the
safety of these materials and the hundreds of other nanotechnology
commercial and consumer products currently on the market?
The answer is a resounding "no," says Project on Emerging
Nanotechnologies chief scientist Andrew Maynard. "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 barbeque grill at home is to diamonds."
According to Maynard, "This is just one example of the yawning
knowledge gap between the nanomaterials entering commerce now and their
safety. And this uncertainty over how to develop nanotechnologies safely,
hamstrings regulators, hinders nanobusiness, and confuses consumers."
Dr. Maynard's remarks are from his testimony today at a hearing held by
U.S. Congress's House Science Committee. A copy of his written statement is
available online at http://www.nanotechproject.org.
According to Maynard, filling this knowledge gap will not be easy, but
it is essential and must be done quickly if nanotechnology is to succeed.
He recommends the following necessary steps:
- Establish a clear, top-down risk research strategy with the
resources required to ensure its implementation;
- Create a new federal advisory committee to allow transparent input
and review from industry, scientists, labor groups, nongovernmental
organizations and other stakeholders;
- Allocate approximately 10 percent of the U.S. government's
nanotechnology research and development budget to goal-oriented
nanotechnology environment, health, and safety research-a minimum of
$50 million annually for research directly tied to oversight and
regulatory needs and an estimated $95 million per year for exploratory
research that is conducted within the scope of a federal strategic
research program; (Previous analysis by Maynard shows that in 2005 the
U.S. government spent approximately $11 million on highly relevant risk
research.)
- Launch a public-private research partnership program, with cost-sharing
between industry and government, to address immediate and critical
research questions on effective oversight; and
- Appoint a top-level government leader responsible for the action needed
to address the environment, health and safety challenges of
nanotechnology.
"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," said Maynard.
About Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the ability to measure, see, manipulate and
manufacture things usually between 1 and 100 nanometers. A nanometer is one
billionth of a meter; a flea is roughly 1 million nanometers wide. More
than $50 billion in nanotechnology products were sold worldwide in 2006. By
2014, Lux Research projects that $2.6 trillion in manufactured goods will
incorporate nanotechnology-about 15 percent of total global output.
The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies is an initiative launched by
the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and The Pew Charitable
Trusts in 2005. It is dedicated to helping business, government and the
public anticipate and manage possible health and environmental implications
of nanotechnology. For more information about the project, log on to
http://www.nanotechproject.org.
