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SAFENANO

Introduction

Hand in hand with the groundbreaking advances nanomaterials bring to nearly every field of technology, come uncertainties about their as yet unknown health and environmental effects. SAFENANO, the UK's premier resource on nanotechnology hazard & risk, is a UK Government centre of excellence and IOM's main nanotechnology health & safety initiative. We can help you in developing your nanotechnology product responsibly, and navigate the minefield of nano regulation and risk assessment.

SAFENANO Scientific ServicesSAFENANO Scientific Services

What is nanotechnology?

Nanotechnology, a term coined in the 1970s by Tokyo-based scientist Norio Taniguchi, stems from the Greek work 'nanos', meaning dwarf. It refers to a whole field of science centred around the manipulation of matter on a truly tiny scale - a nanometre by definition being one billionth of a metre (that's around 1/80,000 of the diameter of a human hair). The importance of nanotechnology as an emerging technology stems from this ability to manipulate matter on the atomic scale, as the properties and behaviour of materials at this scale are altered. For example Carbon Nanotubes, possess incredible strength and conductivity, which when combined with their miniscule weight heralds them as a key material for electrical, construction, medical, defence and a host of other industries in the future.

Why is it important?

Over the last decade, the industry of nanotechnology has grown exponentially - in 2008 nanotechnology enabled consumer products alone numbered in excess of 800 (Project on Emerging nanotechnologies, 2008 Applications for nano have been engineered for medical devices and pharmaceuticals, the agri-food sector, motor, electronics and cosmetics industries - the nanotechnology industry as a whole was valued at over $25 billion in 2008 (Cientifica, 2008) and is predicted to reach a value of over $3.1 trillion by 2015 (Lux Research, 2008).

What are the concerns?

However, hand in hand with the groundbreaking advances nanomaterials bring, come uncertainties about their as yet unknown health and environmental effects, & this aspect of nanotechnologies has been the subject of increasing public attention since 2004, when the Royal Society / Royal Academy of Engineering issued their report 'Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies: Opportunities and Uncertainties'. The report outlined the fact that industry efforts to harness the potentially massive benefits of the emerging technology were growing alongside concerns relating to nanotechnology's potential hazard to health and the environment - put simply, realising the benefits of nanotechnology was at risk of being hampered by a poor understanding of the facts across a number of stakeholder groups.

How IOM is helping to address the issues

Right from the initial development of this field, extensive experience concerning the potential risks from particles and fibres, combined with state-of-art techniques placed IOM to become one of the UK's foremost promoters of responsible nanotechnology development. On behalf of DEFRA and other government agencies we have written a series of state of the art reviews on the regulatory and policy implications of nanomaterials for the workplace, consumer and the environment. We also lead or participate in several major EU framework projects which for are example identifying toxicological mechanisms for nanoparticles, & developing simple methods for measurement of nanoparticles in workplace air. Based on these activities, IOM is now recognised as a leading authority in nanotechnology health and safety research, and its SAFENANO Initiative was established in 2006 as a UK Government Nanotechnology Centre of Excellence to ensure industry, academia, government and the general public clear & easy access to independent & impartial advice on health, safety and environmental aspects of Nanotechnology.

World-Class Expertise

SAFENANO is a partnership between the Institute of Occupational Medicine (IOM) and Napier University and is underpinned by our partners in SnIRC (Safety of Nanomaterials Interdisciplinary Research Centre), one of the world’s leading research groups working on nanoparticle risks issues. This places SAFENANO in the unique position of having access to a truly multi-disciplinnary team of scientists, each at the top of their individual fields of expertise.

How SAFENANO can help you

In the last 2 years SAFENANO has become firmly established as a world leader in the field, providing independent expert advice and judgement to government, national and international authorities on all aspects of nanotechnology health and safety. Our services are provided via SAFENANO’s three main activities: safenano.org, the SAFENANO Community, and SAFENANO Scientific Services:

  • Safenano.org is the UK’s premier online resource on nanotechnology hazard & risk. Providing news, reviews, guidance, regular feature articles from respected figures in the field and a dedicated help desk, safenano.org is an invaluable free to access resource for industry, government, academia and the general public alike.
  • The SAFENANO Community aims to bring together stakeholders from across a range of disciplines to exchange opinions, discuss the latest advances and exchange ideas. It also features regular blogs from both members of the SAFENANO team, and invited guest writers including Andrew Maynard of the Woodrow Wilson Center’s Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies.
  • SAFENANO Scientific Services, providing a multidisciplinary approach to supporting Industry with an emphasis on designing solutions specifically for the individual client. The SAFENANO team’s expertise covers occupational hygiene and health, toxicology, ecotoxicology, data/knowledge review and training provision, placing us in a unique broad-ranging position for provision of consultancy work. As recognised leaders in the field, our authoritative reports are guaranteed to be independent, and can be trusted by you, your employees, insurers and investors.

For further information on how SAFENANO can help you to develop your nanotechnology product responsibly and navigate the rapidly changing field of nano regulation, visit www.safenano.org or click here to contact us.

References:

Cientifica (2008), The Nanotechnology Opportunity Report, 3rd Edition
Lux Research (2008) The Nanotech Report, 5th Edition