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Nanotechnology: The Big News is Small
Other topics:
Nano Podcast
EPA
January 28, 2008
Washington, D.C. -- Americans are famous for building big:
the tallest sky scraper, the biggest jet, the widest plasma
TV screen. But now U.S. entrepreneurs are considering
thinking small. Nanotechnology uses particles 80,000 times
smaller than a human hair; yet the new technology has the
potential to quickly clean up pollution, cure serious
illnesses, and make the computer silicon chip obsolete.
While EPA looks forward to new environmental breakthroughs,
the Agency’s first commitment is to protect human health and
the environment. Therefore EPA has awarded 21 grants
totaling $7.34 million to universities to investigate
potential adverse health and environmental effects of
manufactured nanomaterials. |
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The grants were awarded
through EPA’s Science to Achieve Results (STAR) research
grants program in partnership with the National Science
Foundation's (NSF), National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences (NIEHS), and the National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) who awarded another
eight grants for a total of 29. Nine of the grants focus on
potential toxicity, and 12 grants study the fate and
transport of nanomaterials in the environment.
"Nanotechnology is an exciting new field with the potential
to transform environmental protection. But it is critical to
know whether nanomaterials could negatively impact health or
the environment,” said George Gray, Assistant Administrator
of EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “By performing
research on potential adverse affects, EPA is doing what is
right for both human and environmental health and
technological progress.”
Today, EPA is initiating a Nanoscale Materials Stewardship
Program (NMSP) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
to gather and develop key information from manufacturers,
importers, processors and users of engineered chemical
nanoscale materials. The information gathered through the
stewardship program will be invaluable in furthering EPA’s
understanding of potential risks and benefits of these
nanoscale materials.
EPA further works with agencies in other countries on
nanotechnology health and safety research. The Agency is
part of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD) effort to promote international
cooperation in health and environmental safety related
aspects of manufactured nanomaterials, |
