NEWS: UN calls for tighter Nanoparticle Controls

The U.N. Environmental Program (UNEP) sited nanotechnology in its Global Environmental Outlook annual report for 2007. In the report, they call for tighter regulation of nanoparticles in light of the high rate of projected growth of the nanotech industry in the next decade.

In the report, UNEP claims that "It is not clear whether current regulatory frameworks are adequate to deal with the special characteristics of nanotechnology. To date no government has developed a regulatory framework specific to nanotechnology. A balanced approach is required to maximize benefits while minimizing risks"(SOURCE: unep.org). The report calls for better global cooperation between countries and industries with testing and regulatory policy and increased education of the benefits and risks of nanotech to the common population.

Berkely, CA is currently the only city in the U.S. with nanotechnology regulations in place, though the city council of Cambridge, MA has recently discussed bringing about similar regulations. Regulations have tended to lie largely on the side of proactiveness rather than restrictiveness, requiring government notification of potential hazards of the nanoparticle under manipulation. Still, some claim that nanoparticle regulation need not differ from other small material regulation standards, and worry about nanotechnology regulations at a local level. While the method for regulation of nanoparticles is still up for debate, the rapid rise of nanoscale research and manufacturing calls for an eye to be turned toward its regulation.