Nanotechnology Project

Topics

Consumer Products

News

  • news/archive April 20, 2012 FDA Releases Food, Cosmetic Nanotechnology Guidances for Public Comment The Food & Drug Administration has released two new guidance documents for public comment outlining agency policy for the use of nanotechnology in food ingredients and packaging and the use of nanotechnology in cosmetic products.
  • news/archive March 10, 2011 Nanotech-enabled Consumer Products Continue to Rise The most recent update to the Nanotechnology Consumer Product Inventory finds that over 1,300 manufacturer-identified nanotechnology-enabled consumer products have entered the marketplace to date.
  • news/archive March 2, 2011 A new video podcast on nanotechnology safety from the ASME Nanotechnology Institute The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) have just posted a new video on the safe development of nanotechnology, featuring former PEN Science Advisor Andrew Maynard, as part of their series of nano educational podcasts. video
  • news/archive March 26, 2010 Special Report on nanotechnology from AOL News AOL News published a three part series on nanotechnology. “Nanotechnology has long been hyped for its potential to cure diseases, ease energy problems, supercharge our computers and more. But increasing evidence shows that the engineered particles could pose a giant risk to the environment and human life.”
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • news/archive December 18, 2008 Experts Argue Nano Food-Additives Require New Oversight Nanotechnology policy experts are urging that food additives containing nanoscale materials be subject to new safety testing to ensure that their use does not pose unintended risks. The call comes as nanotechnology emerges as a major regulatory challenge facing the incoming Obama administration.
  • news/archive October 14, 2008 The Frontiers of Nanotechnology The future of how the world communicates, and how we power our lives, will likely come from the same source: nanotechnology. According to the latest NanoFrontiers newsletter and Trips to the Nanofrontier podcast, nanotechnology will be central to developing and using new electronics and energy technologies in the 21st Century. audio