European nanotechnology body to examine health effects on nanoparticles
A European Observatory on Nanotechnologies is to be created, charged with predicting and detecting the potential environmental health problems caused by the increasing use of nanoparticles in consumer products such as tanning lotions and face creams.
A European Observatory on Nanotechnologies is to be created, charged with predicting and detecting the potential environmental health problems caused by the increasing use of nanoparticles in consumer products such as tanning lotions and face creams.
Coordinated by the Institute of Nanotechnology in Glasgow, Scotland, the new European body will receive €4m from the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme research budget, and will involve 17 EU organisations with expertise in the field. As well as safety, it will assess the potential social impact of nanotechnology and consider the ethics involved.
It will try to conclude whether new standards are required, staging surveys, consultations, workshops and collaborative studies with other experts. The observatory will also seek to inform consumers. “Ultimately we would hope that individuals will use our website to find relevant information, and help them make informed decisions,” said project coordinator Dr Mark Morrison of the Institute of Nanotechnology.