Nanotech workplace regulations don't match risks, study finds

Filed in archive Regulation on November 15, 2006

Most people feel pretty safe putting sunscreen containing nanoparticles on their skin, but what about the health of those working with nanoparticles everyday? That's the question the International Council on Nanotechnology (ICON) tries to answer in its new report on workplace safety in nanotech industries.

The report finds that "many nanotech companies and laboratories believe nanoparticles - specks of matter that are smaller than living cells - may pose specific environmental and health risks for workers."

"The use of conventional practices for handling nanomaterials," said ICON director Dr. kristen M. Kulinowski, "appears to stem from a lack of information on the toxicological properties of nanomaterials, as well as nascent regulatory guidance regarding the proper environmental, health and safety practices that should be used with them."

Read the press release at the above link or the full 136-page report (pdf), "Survey of Current Practices in the Nanotechnology Workplace."