Nanotechnology, Regulation of

Applications and Benefits

Nanotechnology encompasses a diverse set of applications and tools linked together primarily by scale. At the scale of nanotechnology (1 billionth of a meter), matter takes on novel properties, such as greater reactivity, electrical conductivity, and abilities to penetrate. Although nanoparticles exist in nature, recent tools and scientific understanding have allowed humans to manipulate matter at the nanoscale and create novel products.

Nanotechnology is being applied to health and medicine, food and agriculture, chemical and product manufacturing, and environmental science and remediation. In medicine, dendrimers (nano-scale, complex organic molecules) are being studied to specifically target and destroy cancer cells without the side effects of chemotherapy. Nano-materials are being piloted for use in solar panels to lower the cost of solar energy. In agriculture, sensors based on nanotechnology are being developed for detecting environmental conditions and responding only when needed for the timed release of fertilizer, water, or pesticides. Iron oxide nano-particles are being used to remove arsenic, a toxic contaminant, from drinking water. Carbon nano-tubes (thin-walled tubes made of carbon atoms) are much stronger than steel and are used in consumer goods like tennis rackets, building materials, and computers. Products of nanotechnology are progressing from passive structures like chemical nanomaterials to more active structures that can respond, change, and move through human and natural systems.

Japan, the United States, and the European Union are leaders in nanotechnology research and development, although several other countries have emerging programs. The United States first funded nanotechnology in a coordinated fashion at the federal level in 2000. The U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) has grown from U.S.$400 million to over U.S.$1.3 billion from 2000 to 2008. Over half of this funding goes to the U.S. Department of Defense, and a significant proportion goes to the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and the National Institutes of Health. Smaller amounts are allocated to several other agencies. Most public agencies have some responsibility for nanotechnology on account of its diverse products and applications.

Concerns and Risks

Scientists point out that human exposure to nano-particles has significantly increased over the last century due to anthropogenic sources, and they are finding important safety issues associated with nanotechnology products. As such, there have been debates about how much funding should go to the study of risks of nanotechnology. Some scholars and practitioners argue that the funding for the [Page 491]study of environmental health and safety (EHS) issues associated with nanotechnology has been too low. In 2006, funding for risk-related research was estimated to be about 1% of total NNI budget, according to Andrew Maynard of the Woodrow Wilson Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies. The lack of significant levels of funding for environmental health and safety issues has created a situation in which over 500 nanotechnology products are on the market while very little is known about human and ecosystem exposure levels, health effects, or environmental fate and transport.

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