(NHI Nanoblog) As part of its ongoing update of the country’s nanotechnology policy goals, the White House is again asking for public input on its National Nanotechnology Initiative. Last month, we saw the entire NNI plan; now, it’s the environmental, health and safety piece that’s open for review.
Safety is increasingly a concern in the field of nanotechnology, which harnesses the super-properties of super-small materials to make products like face cream, iPhones, cancer treatments, and needle-free vaccines.
With the new products’ promise comes caution: for workers producing these products, for the people using them and, ultimately, for the environment around us. Researchers have weighed in with suggestions, and federal agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health are considering rules and guidelines for some nanomaterials.
So, this version of the NNI’s blueprint for safety comes at a key time, and it likely to get some attention, particularly as European countries ramp up their own efforts.
The NNI plan is dense, exploring a broad array of issues, from human health to the environment. It outlines a number of areas where more research is needed, including basic tests to measure exposure and more details looks at how some of these materials might affect humans.
Sally Tinkle, deputy director of the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office, wrote a post on the White House blog explaining the draft, and how it was put together.
Comments are open until Jan. 6 through this portal. You have to register to weigh in.