Nanotechnology Project

Topics

Consumer Products

After more than twenty years of basic and applied research, nanotechnologies are gaining in commercial use.

Nanoscale materials now are in electronic, cosmetics, automotive and medical products. But it has been difficult to find out how many “nano” consumer products are on the market and which merchandise could be called “nano.” Learn more in the Consumer Products Inventory.

  • news/archive November 10, 2009 findNano App Puts Nanotech in Your Pocket The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies has developed findNano, an application for Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch that lets users discover and determine whether consumer products are nanotechnology-enabled.
  • news/archive October 13, 2009 Mama, Dada, and Nano? A new article in The Progressive discusses the potential toxicity of nanoparticles in consumer products.
  • news/archive October 13, 2009 Nanolessons for Revamping Government Oversight of Technology A new article by PEN senior advisor J. Clarence (Terry) Davies calls for radical change in how the federal government oversees nanotechnology and other technologies to best protect human health and the environment.
  • publications/archive August 25, 2009 Nanotechnology and Consumer Products
  • news/archive August 25, 2009 Nanotech-enabled Consumer Products Top the 1,000 Mark Nanotechnology Consumer Products Inventory now contains over 1,000 nanotechnology-enabled consumer products, reflecting the increasing use of tiny particles in everything from conventional products like non-stick cookware and lighter, stronger tennis racquets, to more unique items such as wearable sensors that monitor posture.
  • publications/archive April 28, 2009 PEN 18 - Oversight of Next Generation Nanotechnology Existing health and safety agencies are unable to cope with the risk assessment, standard setting and oversight challenges of advancing nanotechnology.
  • events/archive April 28, 2009 Oversight of Next Generation Nanotechnology When the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was founded, automobiles ran on leaded gasoline without catalytic converters. A landmark report by J. Clarence Davies, Oversight of Next Generation Nanotechnology, describes how existing health and safety agencies are unable to cope with the risk assessment, standard setting and oversight challenges of 21st century technology. video
  • news/archive April 28, 2009 Former EPA Official Calls For New Environmental & Consumer Protection Agency Existing health and safety agencies are unable to cope with the risk assessment, standard setting and oversight challenges of advancing nanotechnology. In a landmark report, Oversight of Next Generation Nanotechnology, J. Clarence Davies highlights the need for a new agency to address current forms of pollution and to deal with the health and environmental impacts of the technically complex products promised by rapid 21st century scientific advances. video
  • news/archive February 26, 2009 Revisiting the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 Today the U.S. House of Representatives began the process of re-examining the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976. According to the the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection, “The hearing will address critical gaps in the statute and explore how these gaps hinder effective chemical safety policy in the United States.” video
  • news/archive February 4, 2009 Nanotechnology and the Consumer What is nanotechnology? How will it affect our lives? And, why should we care? These are just a few of the questions addressed in Talking Nano, a wide-ranging 6-DVD series released by the Boston Museum of Science. The set that includes presentations by noted researchers with a consumer products lecture by Project director David Rejeski. video
  • news/archive January 28, 2009 World’s First Mandatory National Nanotech Requirement Pending Canada is reportedly planning in February to become the first nation in the world to require companies to detail their use of engineered nanomaterials. The information gathered under the requirement will be used to evaluate the risks of engineered nanomaterials and will help to develop appropriate safety measures to protect human health and the environment.
  • publications/archive January 14, 2009 PEN 17 - A Hard Pill to Swallow Historically, the regulation of dietary supplements has been a significant challenge for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the fact that some of these products are now being manufactured using nanotechnology creates an additional layer of complexity. Is FDA equipped to meet the emerging regulatory challenge of dietary supplements that use engineered nanomaterials?
  • news/archive January 14, 2009 Getting Your Daily Dose of Nano? The ability of the FDA to regulate the safety of dietary supplements using nanomaterials is severely limited by lack of information, lack of resources and the agency’s lack of statutory authority in certain critical areas, according to: A Hard Pill To Swallow: Barriers to Effective FDA Regulation of Nanotechnology-Based Dietary Supplements, a new report by former FDA officials William B. Schultz and Lisa Barclay.
  • events/archive January 14, 2009 Nanotech and Your Daily Vitamins Historically, the regulation of dietary supplements has been a significant challenge for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the fact that some of these products are now being manufactured using nanotechnology creates an additional layer of complexity. Is FDA equipped to meet the emerging regulatory challenge of dietary supplements that use engineered nanomaterials? video
  • events/archive January 8, 2009 Synthetic Biology: Is Ethics a Showstopper? Synthetic biology promises to enable cheap, lifesaving new drugs to treat the 350-500 million people who suffer from malaria, and to create innovative biofuels that can help solve the world’s energy problems. But are synthetic biologists playing God? Will synthetic biology’s expected products and profits be stymied by policymakers and the public? Join us and explore these unresolved questions with Dr. Arthur Caplan, director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania.