• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Experts to Explore Environmental and Health Risks of Nanotechnology Products

Posted on: Tuesday, 2 October 2007, 21:00 CDT

The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) will address minimizing the environmental and human health risks associated with the manufacture and use of nanotechnology products. Nanotechnology is the ability to measure, see, manipulate and manufacture things usually between 1 and 100 nanometers. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter; a human hair is roughly 100,000 nanometers wide.

More than 500 consumer products made of nanoscale materials, including some electronics, cosmetics, automotive, and medical products have been identified by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies. Last year, nanotechnology was incorporated into more than $50 billion in manufactured goods, according to the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies. By 2014, Lux Research estimates this figure will grow to $2.6 trillion.

Exploring environmentally safe processes in nanotechnology manufacturing is a component of the California Green Chemistry Initiative. Director Maureen Gorsen of DTSC is leading the initiative, a multi-agency state team that is exploring a different approach to environmental protection -- transitioning away from managing toxic chemicals at the end of the lifecycle, to reducing or eliminating their use altogether. This new approach is similar to measures adopted by the European Union and the Canadian government to encourage greater manufacturer responsibility.

PARTICIPANTS: -- Maureen Gorsen, Director, DTSC -- Jeff Wong, Ph.D., Deputy Director, DTSC -- Cattien Nguyen, Ph.D., Nanotechnology Program, NASA Ames Research Center -- Lutz Madler, Ph.D., Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles -- Patricia McClellan-Green, Ph.D., Dept. of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, North Carolina State University -- Justin Teeguarden, Ph.D., Environmental Technology Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory -- Richard Denison, Ph.D., Environmental Defense

When: Wednesday, October 3, 2007, 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Where: Cal/EPA Building, 1001 I Street, Byron Sher Auditorium, Sacramento

Visuals: Audience members, large scientific banners with science, innovation, environment and green chemistry theme

For more information on the agenda, visit http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/TechnologyDevelopment/Nanotechnology/ . For Web cast in real time, visit http://epanet.ca.gov/Broadcast/ .

To view and participate on the green chemistry initiative blog site, visit http://californiagreenchemistry.squarespace.com/journal/ .

The mission of the Department of Toxic Substances Control is to provide the highest level of safety, and to protect public health and the environment from toxic harm. FOR GENERAL INQUIRIES: Contact the Department of Toxic Substances Control phone: (800) 728-6942 or visit www.dtsc.ca.gov.

Source: Business Wire

More News in this Category