(NHI Nanoblog) A broad range of opinions exists on whether nanotechnology is full of promise, larded with risks or somewhere in between. That comes across loud and clear in a new survey of innovators, toxicologists and regulators.
Gwyneth K. Shaw Photo
Not surprisingly, those surveyed view the question differently, said Christian Beaudrie (pictured), a doctoral student at the University of British Columbia, one of several academics working on the survey.
Beaudrie discussed the findings at last week’s International Conference on the Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology held at Duke University. The school is a partner in the Center for the Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology, which is funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Nanotechnology leverages super-small particles (a nanometer is a billionth of a meter) to create products with remarkable properties. These materials can make bike frames lighter and stronger and sunscreen more transparent on the skin, as well as new medical instruments and medicines that can save lives.
There is broad agreement that nanomaterials have lots of potential for a wide variety of applications. But shrinking these substances can change their properties; scientists are struggling to figure out whether, how and why that shift can make them dangerous in the process.
Nanomaterials in occupational settings, for example, were deemed risky by regulators, quite a bit less so by those developing applications and in the middle by toxicologists, Beaudrie said. While the differences weren’t that large — and Beaudrie and his co-authors are still teasing out the results — they do tell a story.
“If your job is regulating, you’re probably going to be more attuned” to risk, Beaudrie said. At the same time, if you’re inventing new applications to solve a problem, you’re more likely to see the benefits more than any dangers.
A similar pattern emerged with a question about how prepared regulators are to manage the risks associated with nanomaterials, he said. Policymakers see themselves as the least prepared to deal with these risks. Scientists and toxicologists are also concerned, but to a lesser degree.
Women are also more likely than men, across categories, to see nanomaterials or nano-containing products as risky. Beaudrie said he and his co-authors are still trying to figure out exactly why that is.