Ripples from the Royal Society report continue to spread, this time reaching the UKs Trades Union Congress. A TUC statement on nanotechnology, and an accompanying article in Hazards magazine will ensure that an increasing number of lay people are aware of the hazards of some forms nanomaterials. While many companies and research institutions are very responsible and cautious in their treatment of nanomaterials, we have noticed some labs being somewhat cavalier. Its worth pointing out at this stage that opening a vial of nanoparticles wont release them into the environment. The very properties that make them so special, high surface area and reactivity mean that they tend to clump together.
We welcome the involvement of organisations such as the TUC, although there is a fundamental difference between nanoparticles and asbestos. Asbestos was in widespread use for almost 60 years before anyone became aware of the potential health risks. Nanoparticles are at the beginning of their adoption, and we are already aware of a number of areas of concern. With responsible development of the technology, there is no reason why we should incur heath and environmental risks, provided we have proper labelling and regulation.