banner unionsafete


Nanotechnology Risk Reduction Requires History Lessons

Industry, government and scientists must learn the lessons of past health and safety tragedies to ensure the safe and responsible development of emerging nanotechnologies, a report has warned.

The expert analysis in the journal Nature Nanotechnology applies the 12 'late lessons from early warnings' identified by the European Environment Agency (EEA) to nanotechnology. EEA's lessons, published in a 2001 report, are drawn from case studies that include asbestos, PCBs and halocarbons.

The new study concludes that while the nanotechnology community is doing some things right, "we are still in danger of repeating old, and potentially costly, mistakes." It adds: "Despite a good start, nanotechnology commercialisation appears hampered and diverted because many of the same government organisations responsible for promoting nanotechnology also are responsible for regulating it. Risk research strategies are weak and not leading to clear answers to critical safety questions and to filling clear knowledge gaps."

Lead author Steffen Foss Hansen of the Technical University of Denmark said: "Most importantly, stakeholders and the public are not being fully engaged."

Co-author Andrew Maynard, chief science adviser to the Washington DC-based Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, said if the benefits of nanotechnology are to be realised, "we also need to look back and heed the lessons of the past. And those lessons are clear - work with foresight, honesty and humility; be grounded in reality; and listen to people. We still have a chance to get it right with nanotechnology. But we are not there yet."

Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies news report

Late lessons from early warnings for nanotechnology

Source: TUC Risks



Designed, Hosted and Maintained by Union Safety Services