- "Magic Nano" turned out not to be so magical
after all. The cleaning product sold by the German company Kleinmann
GmbH made headlines when it caused respiratory distress in more than
100 consumers last spring, leading to its swift removal from the market.
Although the product didn't contain nanoparticles-the problems were ultimately
traced to the formation of a super-thin film-the incident put the concept
of nanomaterials (which incorporate particles or components measuring less
than 100 nanometers, or about 1/250,000 inch) squarely in the public eye
and raised the question of how to harness their potential while addressing
their potential risks.
- More than 200 consumer products around the world are
described as nanotech-based, according to the Woodrow Wilson Center's Project for Emerging Nanotechnologies.
On small scales, substances often behave much differently than they do
in their familiar forms, and toxicology and safety studies of these products
are still in the early stages. "Good science takes time," says
Sally Tinkle, assistant to the deputy director of the National
Institute of Environmental Health Sciences at the NIH. "We're
asking the right questions about our regulatory frameworks, but we do not
have enough scientific data yet to know if they need to be changed and,
if so, how to change them in a way that would be more effective."
Time may be running out, says David
Rejeski, director of the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies. "Five
or six years ago, this was a story about science. Now it's a story about
consumer products," he says. "This is the beginning of a tidal
wave of nano-based products."
- So far, more effort has been put into promoting the economic
potential of nanomaterials than in exploring possible hazards. The Bush
administration's 2007 budget request includes $1.2 billion for the National
Nanotechnology Initiative but just $44 million for nanotechnology toxicology
and safety research. "How many Magic Nano stories have to appear before
people get upset and start to lose confidence?" Rejeski says. "The
thing that I fear is that we're investing in a $200,000 car, and we've
taken out a $10,000 insurance policy."
- -Sarah Webb