World's First Nanotech Law Due

The Canadian government is planning to release the world's first national regulation requiring companies to detail their use of engineered nanomaterials, reports say. The information gathered under the requirement, which it is thought will be published in February, will be used to evaluate the risks of engineered nanomaterials and will help the development of appropriate safety measures to protect human health and the environment.

Andrew Maynard, a nanotech safety expert from the US-based Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN), commented: 'People and the environment are being increasingly exposed to new nanomaterials. Yet governments lack information on the type, quantity and possible risks of nanoscale materials being manufactured and used in products today. This is information that is vital to ensuring the safe use of nanotechnology.'

Maynard, PEN's chief science adviser, added: 'This decision by Canada - to establish the world's first national mandatory nanoscale materials reporting programme for companies - is an important step toward ensuring that nanotechnology regulation is driven by accurate information and high-quality science.'

Canada's action comes after a series of international reports highlighted major deficiencies in the health and safety oversight and control of nanotechnologies. Unions in the UK, US, Australia and Holland have called for the precautionary principle to be applied to nanotech use while uncertainty remains on the potential health effects.

Source: Risks

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