Sweeping them under the rug, he added, will leave the field vulnerable to consumer and regulatory backlash. Key to managing perceptual risk is to gain early approval of nanomaterials from regulatory agencies. Other studies have shown negligible toxicityand even protective effectsof fullerenes prepared without organic solvents. Finally, as the product is scaled up to launch, final toxicity tests and exposure controls can be put in place to confirm material safety, and monitoring of products in the field can be used to ensure that no downstream issues arise.

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In fact, many of the nanotech companies he visited this year explained that their approach to managing perceived risks was simply to avoid the subject. The fact that nanotech innovation can help address important health and environment problems needs to be part of the discussion about nanotech EHS, he stressed. and resembling the geodesicdome geometry popularized by noted architect Buckminster Fuller. For example, to apply this approach during the early stages of research on new materials, one obvious step companies can take is to review the literature for toxicity information on similar materials.

To effectively manage the perceived risks of nanotoxicity, its important for companies to ensure that the public does not develop misconceptions about nanotechnology based on perceived vs. He pointed to long history of companies that have faced questions regarding the health effects of productse. g., cigarettes, Teflon, and silicon breast implantsand explained that public reaction has always been worse when the company involved is seen as hiding something.

Finally, as the product is scaled up to launch, final toxicity tests and exposure controls can be put into place, and tests can be done on the product to determine to what extent nanotech particles could leach out during use or after disposal. Citing Oberdorsters findings, the International Center for Technology Assessment and the Friends of the Earth environmental group recently petitioned the FDA to ban the use of nanomaterials in cosmetics. No one is committing crimes with nanoparticles, he said, but added that nevertheless, As in politics, its not the crimeits the coverup.