At a nanotechnology summit held at UCLA on Friday a panel of scientists, lawyers and other professionals expressed concerns that exposure to various nanomaterials could be harmful, though they disagreed over whether or not the government should immediately step in to regulate products containing such microscopic particles.
Nanomaterials are particles that have at least one dimension smaller than 100 nanometers, which is equivalent to one thousandth the diameter of a human hair. They are used for a variety of reasons in a range of products, such as sunscreen, tires and some electronic devices.
Very small particles such as nanomaterials have relatively large surface areas and can react more frequently with tissues in the body, which can increase stress on the body or cause cell death, according to a recent study by UCLA researchers.
Though nanomaterials have the potential to pose certain health risks, there is little evidence showing whether they are safe or harmful.
“There are no known instances of a human disease or environmental disaster caused by engineered nanomaterials,” said panelist Andre Nel, a UCLA professor and practicing immunologist. However, that doesn’t mean researchers shouldn’t investigate potential health risks, he said.
“If you’re going to put materials with new properties at the nanoscale together with biological processes … you need to make sure that there will be no harmful interactions,” Nel said.
Hilary Godwin, a UCLA professor of public health who was also on the panel, said, “We need to be able to start testing this very diverse group of nanoparticles right away … and determine whether or not they pose health risks.”
In fact, researching potential health risks might do more than assure the safety of consumers; it may actually help advance the practical applications of nanotechnology, Godwin said.
“If we do this right, the type of science that will help us to create safer systems will also help us to drive the technology in new ways to make it more effective, like finding medical uses for nanoparticles,” Godwin said.
Though everyone in the panel agreed that the dangers of nanomaterials are not fully understood, panelists disagreed over whether the nanotechnology industry should immediately be regulated by safety guidelines.
“If the field of nanotechnology is too regulated, it might cost too much to promote advancements, and if it’s not regulated enough, it could be dangerous to the public,” said Mike Feuer, a California state assemblyman who hosted the event.
Terry O’Day, a panelist and executive director of Environment Now, an advocacy organization based in Santa Monica, said he supported the immediate setup of safety regulations for products with nanomaterials.
“I think it is important that we follow a precautionary principle. The current industry is built on “˜go ahead and try it,’ but if it ends up hurting someone, it can cost you more in the long run,” O’Day said.
Some of the summit attendees echoed this viewpoint, citing the need for caution with new technologies.
“Everyone realizes how important (nanotechnology) is, but we need to understand it. We need to incorporate it into society, but we also should make sure that it’s safe when we do that,” said Gordon Ng, a graduate student of law who attended the summit.
In contrast, other panelists said they favored continued manufacturing of products with nanomaterials and the gradual introduction of government-based safety regulations.
“I’d like to say that I’m all for checking to make sure products with nanoparticles are safe and to urge cautiousness … but if we do that, we might jeopardize all of the potential benefits nanotechnology has to offer,” Godwin said.
Whether it happens sooner or later, the panel conceded that governmental regulation of the safety of nanomaterials in the marketplace is important and, at some point in the future, inevitable.
“As a law student, I’m very interested in the future regulation in this field,” said graduate student James Mize. “The promise of nanotechnology is exciting, yet the promise of regulating that technology to make sure it’s safe is also exciting.”