July 2007
Using nanotechnology: What must be done
Manufacturers using nanotechnology seldom label products to show the presence of nanoingredients. Even when they do, consumers
cannot determine whether those ingredients are safe. So Consumers Union believes the responsibility for protecting consumers
rests mainly with government and industry. In particular, the U.S. government must do the following:
- Improve FDA oversight. The agency should assess safety information on nanoingredients in cosmetics, food additives and supplements,
and drugs before they’re sold. It should also require manufacturers to report health problems linked to those ingredients,
former FDA official Taylor argues. That’s crucial because under the current voluntary system, companies are unlikely to file
the equivalent of a “kick me here” sign that could trigger FDA action, says lawyer Sanford Lewis, co-author of a recent report
on the safety of cosmetics.
- Make labeling mandatory. That should apply to all items regulated by the FDA. Labeling informs consumers and enables researchers
and regulators to link cases of health or environmental damage to particular nanomaterials. In addition, the Federal Trade
Commission should consider charging companies that use nanotechnology with false or misleading advertising if their marketing
fails to disclose the presence of nanomaterials or makes inappropriate safety claims
- Provide more funds for risk research and regulation to the FDA, NIOSH, EPA, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Last
year the Wilson Center urged the government to devote at least $100 million over the next two years to high-priority nanotech-risk
research. But it now spends only about one-fifth that amount, the center estimates.
- Consider new safety legislation. The Wilson Center asked J. Clarence Davies, who co-wrote the plan that created the Environmental Protection Agency and wrote the landmark law giving it oversight over chemicals’ safety, to analyze whether current laws were sufficient to manage the possible risks of nanotechnology. Initially skeptical about the need for new legislation, Davies changed his mind as he learned more, and recommended a new law that would focus on premarket risk assessment. His report concluded, “Once nanotechnology materials get into the environment, it is probably too late for remedial measures."
Some entrepreneurs share that concern. Seth Coe-Sullivan, chief technology officer at QD Vision, a nanotech start-up in Watertown, Mass., says he and others in the industry are mindful of the potential risks and are trying to develop nanotechnology responsibly. “Unless we put the safety of consumers and the environment first,” he says, “nanomaterials could end up being asbestos writ small."
