A Washington, DC think tank last week released a new report with suggestions on how the next administration should approach regulation of nano-technology in products. The Project on Emerging Technologies is based at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington. The Project was established in 2005 as a partnership between the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Pew Charitable Trusts. The Project is dedicated to helping ensure that as nanotechnologies advance, possible risks are minimized, public and consumer engagement remains strong, and the potential benefits of these new technologies are realized.
Nanotechnologies are hailed by many as the next industrial revolution. They promise to change everything from the cars we drive to the clothes we wear, from the medical treatments our doctors can offer to our energy sources and workplaces. Although focused on very small particles, nanotechnologies offer large potential benefits. From new cancer therapies to pollution-eating compounds, from more durable consumer products to detectors for bio-hazards like anthrax, from novel foods to more efficient solar cells, nanotechnologies are changing the way people think about the future.
The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies collaborates with researchers, government, industry, NGOs, policymakers, and others to look long term, to identify gaps in knowledge and regulatory processes, and to develop strategies for closing them. The Project’s stated mission is to try to provide independent knowledge and analysis that can inform critical decisions affecting the development and commercialization of nanotechnologies.
A source of uncertainty for nanotechnology is regulation. The Project released a 28-page regulatory agenda for the next administration, noting that whichever candidate wins is going to have to deal with this issue, probably sooner rather than later. The next president has the opportunity to ensure that nanotechnology’s benefits will be maximized and its risks identified and mitigated, says the group.
The report, Nanotechnology Oversight: An Agenda for the Next Administration, calls for the White House and federal agency policymakers to maximize the use of existing laws to improve nanotechnology oversight. Such measures include defining nanomaterials as “new” substances under federal toxics and food laws, thereby enabling the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to consider the novel qualities and effects of nanomaterials. The group addresses whether the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act and the Consumer Product Safety Act need to be amended to cover nanotechnology.
The Project notes that more nanotech products are hitting the market. From March, 2006 to February, 2007, the number of manufactured goods using nanotech tripled to 600. For fiscal 2009, the federal government has devoted $1.5 billion to nanotech, a sum split up between various agencies. Under the Bush administration, EPA has a Nanoscale Materials Stewardship Program, which is endorsed by the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturers Association, the American Chemistry Council and the NanoBusiness Alliance. Some state governments, however, are pushing forward with their own rules on nanotech.
Coincidentally, consumer advocates said this week that food produced by using nanotechnology is quietly coming onto the market, and they want U.S. authorities to force manufacturers to identify them. New consumer products created through nanotechnology are coming on the market at the rate of 3 to 4 per week, according to The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies.