DOE Inspector General report critical of the Energy Department for failing to follow the recommendations of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in protecting workers who work with nanomaterials at DOE facilities.

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Scientific Committee on Consumer Products OPINION ONSAFETY OF NANOMATERIALS IN COSMETIC PRODUCTS

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ndustry Analysts Predict Revenues from Products Incorporating Nanotechnology to Reach Close to $3 Trillion US Within 10 Years

Mar 24, 2008

In their study, Global Industry Analysts, Inc. (GIA) notes the success of nanotechnology commercialization in the healthcare and electronics section will bolster revenues for all products incorporating nanoscale technologies over the next decade. The GIA’s report also looks at government spending in nanotechnology research and development–from 2006 to 2010, Japan will be the world leader in this category, providing about $6 Billion US for nanotech R&D. The US is not too far behind with a projected $5.6 Billion US dedicated to nanotech R&D, followed by the European Union at about $4.6 Billion US for the same period.

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Recirculating Air Filtration Significantly Reduces Exposure to Airborne Nanoparticles

David Y.H. Pui, Chaolong Qi, Nick Stanley, Günter Oberdörster, and Andrew Maynard
doi:10.1289/ehp.11169 (available at http://dx.doi.org/) Online 26 March 2008

http://www.ehponline.org/members/2008/11169/11169.pdf

Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Airborne nanoparticles from vehicle emissions have been associated with adverse effects in people with pulmonary and cardiovascular disease, and toxicological studies have shown that nanoparticles can be more hazardous than their larger scale counterparts. Re-circulating air filtration in automobiles and houses may provide a low-cost solution to reducing exposures in many cases, thus reducing possible health risks.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the effectiveness of re-circulating air filtration on reducing exposure to incidental and intentionally produced airborne nanoparticles under two scenarios: while driving in traffic, and while generating nanomaterials using gas phase synthesis.

METHODS: We tested the re-circulating air filtration in two commercial vehicles when driving in traffic, as well as in a non-ventilation room with a nanoparticle generator, simulating a nanomaterial production facility. We also measured the time-resolved aerosol size distribution during the in-car recirculation to investigate how re-circulating air filtration impacts on particles of different sizes. A recirculation model was developed to describe the aerosol concentration change during recirculation.

RESULTS: The use of inexpensive low-efficiency filters in recirculation systems is shown to reduce nanoparticle concentrations to below levels found in a typical office within three minutes while driving through heavy traffic, and within twenty minutes in a simulated nanomaterial production facility.

CONCLUSIONS: Development and application of this technology could lead to significant reductions in airborne nanoparticle exposure, reducing possible risks to health and providing solutions to generating nanomaterials safely.

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Human health implications of nanomaterial exposure

THILO PAPP1, DIETMAR SCHIFFMANN1, DIETER WEISS1, VINCE CASTRANOVA2, VAL VALLYATHAN2, & QAMAR RAHMAN3

Published in: journal Nanotoxicology, Volume 2, Issue 1 March 2008 , pages 9 - 27

1Institute of Cell Biology & Biosystems Technology, Rostock University Rostock, Germany, 2National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA, and 3Dean Research & Development Integral University, Lucknow, India

Abstract

Nanotechnology presents countless opportunities to develop new and improved consumer products for the benefit of society. However, as the industrial production and use of nanotechnology products continue to expand at a fast scale, potential human health concerns and ecological safeguards for the environment need to be addressed. Health risk assessment involving different animal species for multi-organ toxicity complimented with molecular investigations in cells is essential for investigating the potential toxic effects of nanomaterials. The purpose of this review is to present the current state of knowledge regarding the potential routes of human exposure to nanomaterials and their biological health effects. Although anthropogenic nanosized particles emitted in the environment are known to produce adverse human health in susceptible populations, much remains to be explored. Exposures can occur from direct exposure or from the use of commercial products made of nanomaterials. Safe manufacturing guidelines for prevention of exposures and recommendations on safe handling and use need to be established on a proactive basis to prevent adverse outcomes.

Nano Silver Cleanser

Nano Silver Cleanser is not a soap, it’s a revolution. Unlike any other cleanser available, Nano Silver Cleanser employs technology and the best of nature to transform the experience of skincare.
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Nanotechnology Manufacturing Breakthrough Gives Nano Battery Near Infinite Shelf Life

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Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition Calls for Nanotechnology Regulation

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Majority of nanotechnology companies do not perform any form of risk assessment

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Nanotechnology expert awarded $10M grant

Nanotechnology researcher Ted Sargent Canada has been awarded a $10 million dollar grant from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia – an international graduate-level research university set to open in September 2009 He works on developing nanotechnology products that use the infrared rays of the sun.
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Nanobiotechnology Market Will Boom Between 2010 and 2015, Says New Report

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Credit Suisse Launches Global Nanotechnology Index

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Symposium on nanomedicine in Qatar

in Quatar

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NIOSH Updates Nano Planning Through 2012

NIOSH, the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health posted on its website an updated version of its strategic plan for reseach in nanotechnology through the year 2012.
The agency is accepting public comments on the document Research Strategic Plan for NIOSH Nanotechnology Research: Filling the Knowledge Gaps until June 1, 2008.
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Federal Toxics Reporting Statute Could be Applied to Production and Commercialization of Nanotechnology

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The Markets for Antimicrobial Additives in Plastics Worldwide 2007-2025 Development, Strategies, Markets, Companies, Trends, Nanotechnology

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University of Missouri scientist Kattesh Katti recently discovered how to make gold nanoparticles using gold salts, soybeans and water.

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Accident involved nanostructured explosive materials

Chemical & Engineering News - February 27, 2008

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1st Annual Conference on Nanotechnology Law, Regulation and Policy

Co-Sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies In partnership with Arizona State University and Burdock Group
February 28-29, 2008
Program Description

Nanotechnology was incorporated into more than $50 billion in manufactured goods last year, according to Lux Research. By 2014, the market will grow to $2.6 trillion. By 2011, over $15 billion in nano-enabled drugs and therapeutics will be sold—up from more than $3 billion in 2006. And industry experts project that nanotechnology will be incorporated into $20 billion worth of consumer food products by 2010.

Yet, despite this rapid commercialization, no nano-specific regulation exists anywhere in the world. Most regulatory agencies remain in an information-gathering mode—lacking the legal and scientific tools, information and resources they need to adequately oversee exponential nanotechnology market growth.

Now, for the first time, you’ll get to meet all the top officials from these government departments in one place and learn of their plans for regulating food and drug nanotech products. You’ll hear what’s really happening in Europe and Asia, on Wall Street, in the corridors of major corporations, in the more advanced laboratories, at forward-thinking universities and in the halls of Congress.

And you’ll also get the answers to those questions you’ve been talking to your colleagues about for the last several months:

* How is FDA going to implement its Nanotechnology Task Force Report?
* How is OSHA going to deal with nanotech issues in the workplace?
* Is Congress ready to act on nanotechnology if federal regulators don’t?
* What first and second generation nanotechnology products are already on the market, and what’s to come?
* Do Europe and Asia approach nanotechnology safety and oversight differently
than the United States?
* When it comes to nanotechnology, should size make a regulatory difference?

see

Draft Nanomaterial Research Strategy (NRS) January 2008 USA

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