Nanoparticle hazards?

While the effectiveness of nanoparticles is unquestioned for many application fields, their potential risk for humans and the environment is being discussed controversially. Could large amounts of extremely small material cause damage comparable to that from asbestos that was widespread until the '70s?

While many consumer protection experts have been warning against nanoparticles for years, a closer look at typical arguments often reveals a lack of objectiveness. The main argument against the use of nanoparticles turns out to be that the hazards of nanoparticles in consumer products were still not explored. However, industry and science in Europe have been investigating the safety of nanotechnology for more than eight years. For example, there were three large research projects supported by German public funding in the years 2006 to 2009. The final summary of the project NanoCare (which ended in 2009) reported threat analysis for 30 different nanomaterials and modifications - concluding that these bear no health concerns. The continuation of the resulting database is currently being funded within the project DaNa for 4 more years. As regards basic research in Germany, the DFG program SPP1313 has been studying elementary processes of interactions of nanoparticles with biological systems at the molecular and cellular levels since 2007. In European research funding, there were already more than ten projects within the 6th framework program that evaluated nanotechnology risks. For example, the EU project NANODERM, the final report of which is publicly available, investigated many nanoparticles that are typically applied in skin creams, and concluded that these are unobjectionable regarding the permeability through skin. Within the 7th framework program, the European Union is again supporting large projects that concentrate on the evaluation of risks from nanotechnology. Despite all these efforts, hazards of nanoparticles are often still being called "completely unexplored".

There are in fact lacks of knowledge with regard to the innocuousness of nanoparticles; however, these knowledge lacks are far smaller than commonly assumed. Most concerns focus on nano-powders that are respirable, which calls for high diligence when processing nanoparticles in the gas phase that can be inhaled easily.

Particular produces nanoparticles in liquids only, which are easy to handle and cannot be inhaled. In medical applications, the respective products do not bear hazards, as the particles are securely embedded within the material or safely attached to the product surface. In addition, they are used in much lower amounts than nanoparticles produced by chemical gas phase processes (which are, for instance, incorporated into skin cremes for improved viscosity or UV protection and do not bear health risks, either).

Still, Particular wants to use its universal production method to make a contribution to research on nanotechnology risks: in the future, we want to provide new reference materials that will also be used in studies on the safety of nanotechnology. Based on knowledge that has been growing continuously, all of us will gain the confidence in nanotechnology that it deserves.