Reports

Review of Federal Strategy for Nanotechnology-Related Environmental, Health, and Safety Research (2008)

Press Release

Over the next decade, nanomaterials will be used increasingly in products ranging from medical therapies to food additives to electronics. The U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) coordinates federal agency investments in nanoscale research and development, including activities related to understanding the potential risks to public health and the environment. This report, conducted at the request of the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative, provides an independent review of its draft research plan, Strategy for Nanotechnology-Related Environmental, Health, and Safety Research (NNI 2008). The report concludes that the plan has several weaknesses and does not present the research strategy needed to gain public acceptance and realize the promise of nanotechnology. The plan does not provide a clear picture of the current understanding of the risks, nor does it include research goals to help ensure that nanotechnologies are developed and used as safely as possible. A truly robust national research strategy would need broader input from industry, environmental and consumer advocacy groups, and other stakeholders. The plan should clearly identify research needs, estimate the resources needed to address research gaps, and include measurable objectives and a timeline for meeting them. The report also notes that federal funding to specifically address nanotechnology-related environmental health and safety issues is far less than indicated in the research plan and may be inadequate. The report does not evaluate whether current uses of nanomaterials represent unreasonable risks to the public.
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