Ethical Issues Raised by Emerging Technologies
Saturday, December 4th, 2010
Emerging technologies like nanotechnology and biotechnology raises health and ethical issues. Government regulations cannot hope to keep pace as the new technologies raise issues that nobody has a clear idea about. This situation creates a dilemma as countries want technological progress but are apprehensive about the unknown safety and ethical issues.
Nanotechnology is a revolutionary technology that has applications in many areas, including healthcare, consumer products, industrial products and energy. The technology involves working at nanoscale; a nanometer is one-billionth of a meter; and nanotechnology deals with materials of 100 nanometers or less. At nanoscale, normally harmless materials can become toxic, and nanomaterials can permeate the skin barrier and enter internal organs with unknown consequences.
An ethical issue arises when multinational corporations, unable to work in their home countries owing to rigorous regulations, shift operations to developing countries where regulations are non-existent or lax. In addition to MNCs, even local companies might engage in dangerous research and manufacturing activities in such an environment.
Modern biology raises issues that cause even greater concerns. For example, issues such as patenting life, DNA banks and genetically engineered animals and crops are issues that have raised serious controversies. Considerable discussions are taking place about these issues all over the world.
An article on Green Nanotechnology and a booklet on Ethics and Biotechnology go into these issues.
Tags: emerging technologies, ethical issues, health issues, safety issues
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Nanotechnology: Hype and Reality
Wednesday, October 27th, 2010
The discovery of buckminsterfullerene molecule in 1985 by three professors (of Rice and Sussex universities) led to the development of nanotechnology. The molecule, known as buckyball, is a carbon molecule with 60 carbon atoms, visualized as a closed cage with hexagonal and pentagonal structures resembling the Buckminster Fuller Dome displayed at the Montreal Expo 67.
The C60 molecule has one free electron and is a nanoscale structure. This makes the molecule electrically active and useful in nanotechnology. In fact, nanotechnology can be said to have emerged as a result of the numerous developments related to the buckyball.
Nanotechnology is still a technology that is far from realizing its potential. For example, molecular-level manufacture, where you create custom molecules by assembling atoms in desired ways, is reportedly a minimum of ten years away from actualization. What we are seeing at present is only incremental improvements to existing products.
There is also the issue of risks posed by nanomaterials. The invisibly small nanoscale materials can not only permeate skin to reach and possibly harm internal organs but also cause harm through the completely different properties they exhibit compared to their normal scale versions. For example, materials that are non-toxic in normal state can become toxic when reduced to nano-scale in size.
Regulatory agencies of governments have not yet been able to come up with effective policies that ensure safety while also permitting fast technology development.
Read about the issues at IndustryWeek
Tags: buckyball, molecular manufacture, nanomaterials, nanotech safety issues, nanotechnology
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Nanotechnology: The importance of Considering Risks as well as Benefits
Friday, October 22nd, 2010
Nanotechnology is more about the size of the materials involved rather than a particular scientific domain. It deals with materials at nanoscale, i.e. materials measured in nanometers (nm) or one billionth of a meter. Nanotechnology generally deals with materials of less than 100nm, typically molecules and atoms.
Needless to say, materials at this size are invisible to the eye and even to traditional microscopes. It needs powerful new types of devices such as Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) and Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) to observe materials at nanoscale. The ability to modify nano-materials was gained only during the last quarter of a century.
Nanotechnology has applications in various sciences, such as healthcare, medical, agricultural and other. It has been touted as a technology that can provide solutions to many problems facing poor countries. It is argued that energy generation, disease prevention and water purification could all be more effective and less expensive through nanotech.
For example, unclean water leads to some 6000 deaths in poor countries. Using electro statically charged nanoparticles, the contaminants in the water could be removed, for example. With such promises, few countries dare question the need for nanotech use.
However, the risks of this technology are also great. At nanoscale, properties of materials change and normally non-toxic materials can become toxic. Another problem that can affect poor countries is the disappearance of demand for their commodities, such as cotton and various minerals.
If nanotech can enable creating these synthetically at comparable costs, demand for the natural commodities can come down, affecting the livelihood of large sections of poor country population.
Risks such as the above are serious enough for countries to prohibit the import and use of manufactured nanomaterials.
Read a detailed discussion on Nanotechnology and Africa at Pambazuka News.
Tags: nanomaterials, nanotechnology, risks from nanotechnology
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Nanotechnology: The Tempting and Intriguing Technology
Wednesday, October 13th, 2010
Working with atoms and molecules, nanotechnology offers the prospect of creating entirely new materials (rather than products) giving humans a power similar to what we instinctively attribute to God. However, working at levels where the materials we work with can permeate to our internal organs, including bloodstreams and brains, the technology also poses unknown risks. The risks are not only to humans but also other living organisms and even the entire environment.
Despite potentially serious dangers, the technology tempts us with the promise of custom-made materials and solutions to presently insoluble problems. The technology works across many sectors, including medicine, consumer and industrial products, energy and environment. We already have self-cleaning glass, anti-bacterial wound dressings and invisible sunscreens, for example. The sunscreen application also illustrates potential dangers; the material has reportedly permeated into the bloodstream and the cosmetic industry seems to have decided upon a self-imposed ban on nanotech cosmetics.
It is in this context that people and governments are reluctant to proceed full-speed ahead with this promising technology. Generally, they want all developments to be vetted for potential side effects and regulations made to ensure safety of researchers, workers and consumers. All those with public interest in mind want the industry to proceed cautiously.
Read about the proceedings of the symposium on Nanotechnology: Risks and Opportunities organized at Lucerne, Switzerland, by the International Social Security Association.
Tags: nanotechnology issues
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Nanotechnology – Considerations for Safe Development
Tuesday, August 17th, 2010
Office of Technical Assistance & Technology, Massachusetts Government, has released a document with the above title. As the preamble of the document says, Nanotechnology offers great promise in different industries such as biomedical devices, clean energy technology and materials engineering. Along with the promise come indications that the invisibly small nanoparticles, both incidental and engineered, can cause harm to living beings.
The particles can cause respiratory ailments through inhalation, get absorbed into the bloodstream and even pass the blood-brain barrier with potential harm to neurological system. DNA damage has been reported from exposure to titanium dioxide nanoparticles. The overall conclusion from health and safety research is that material risks may accompany the development of nanotechnologies.
It is in this context that precautionary steps during research and development become important. This has become particularly critical as billions of dollars are being invested in nanotechnology development in US alone (not to mention many other countries across the world). Focusing only on the promise and ignoring the potential for harm that these initiatives pose are things that no responsible government or entity can allow.
Studies have indicated that while many companies have implemented nanosafety practices, several others have not. It is thus necessary to create greater awareness about the issue among managers, supervisors and health & safety officers.
You can download the nanotechnology safety considerations document from Massachusetts Government website.
Tags: engineered materials, nanoparticles, nanotech health issues, nanotechnology
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Nanoparticles: What are the Risks?
Saturday, August 7th, 2010
Do you know that we could be breathing in four billion nanoparticles per minute? And be none the worse for it? There are numerous sources of such particles in everyday living, and our lungs have learned to cope with these and we continue to live (and prosper).
Does that mean that nanoparticles, natural and engineered, are absolutely safe? Hardly. Asbestos fiber has caused deaths in hundreds of thousands. Even the London smog has caused deaths estimated at a few thousands in one year. Apparently, the capacity of our lungs to tolerate air-borne particles is limited.
There is also the fact that unlike naturally occurring particles, to which our lungs have become accustomed over a long period, engineered nanoparticles are something new which our lungs have no experience of. Just like engineered chemicals, our body might not be all that ready to deal with the new particles.
Dosages can also matter. A single nanoparticle, even if somewhat dangerous, might not have any impact on our health. Even a billion nanoparticles do not amount to much in terms of substance. However, when the substantial content of the nanoparticles absorbed increase, even otherwise harmless particles might become toxic.
These and other interesting thoughts are the content of a recent post at 2020science.org.
Tags: health risks, nanoparticles, nanotechnology
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Nanotechnology Whitepaper from the 2009 Environmental Health Summit
Monday, July 12th, 2010
In a number of posts at this blog, both the positive and the potentially harmful impact that nanotechnology can have on health have been mentioned. The whitepaper on environmentally responsible development of nanotechnology focuses on this duality of benefits and dangers of nanotechnology. It contains the recommendations from the Research Triangle Environmental Health Collaborative and represents a collection of opinions.
The impact of nanotechnology is understood by most countries. In the U.S., for example, $14 billion had been set apart for R&D under the Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI). The NNI is a U.S. government program of “25 agencies working together toward the common vision of a future in which the ability to understand and control matter at the nanoscale leads to a revolution in technology and industry that benefits society.”
Russia has been focusing on developing tools that enable working with materials at nanoscale, something extremely difficult considering that a nanometer is one-billionth of a meter.
As the whitepaper says, when materials at this size scale are released into the environment, they can penetrate traditional biological barriers (like the human skin) and the so far “impermeable” synthetic filters. The result can be unhealthy for humans, animals and the ecology.
As at the time of this writing, the whitepaper can be downloaded from EnvironmentalHealthCollaborative.org.
Tags: impact on health, nanotech benefits, nanotechnology
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Nanotechnology Risks: A Canadian Government Discussion
Tuesday, June 29th, 2010
Nanoparticles are particles of matter that are at atomic and molecular levels. Working at these levels, you can modify the characteristics of materials and even develop materials tailored to specific needs. Nanotechnology is an emerging technology whose risks are not completely known. Cases have been reported about nanoparticles used in cosmetics entering the users’ bloodstreams.
The Standing Committee on Health of the Canadian House of Commons produced a document titled Evidence that reported the discussion of a session on understanding nanotechnology, meant for the members of the committee. The discussions focused on the risks posed by the new technology.
The Director, Research and Expertise Support Department, Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST), Mr.Ostiguy, explained that over 1000 products containing nanoparticles are presently available in the market.
He continued that the production processes posed the greatest risks to the workers carrying these out. This group included researchers who develop new products, employees in companies that synthesize the nanoparticles and employees of companies that introduce nanoparticles into their production lines for value addition purposes.
IRSST has researched current scientific knowledge about the risks posed by nanoparticles.
Read the discussion on the risks at Evidence.
Tags: health risks of nanoparticles, nanotechnology, nanotechnology issues
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