Mandatory nanotoxicology testing is just around the corner. Are you ready?
In Michael Crichton's novel Prey, the hero must outwit swarms of out-of-control nanoparticles that have become self-replicating, intelligent, and deadly. In real life, more nanotechnology products are entering the marketplace in a less dramatic fashion—but with mounting scrutiny by government, industry and consumers about the safety of nanoscale materials. Controlling risks for the work place, the consumer, and the environment will be critically important to the widespread success of nanotechnology. Andrew Maynard, chief scientist for the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, expressed it bluntly when he spoke to the President's Council of Advisers on Science and Technology in June. “If consumers and other stakeholders are not convinced the benefits outweigh the risks, many applications will not see the light of day,” he says.
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