Health assessment of Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology is a promising future-proof technology. It is, therefore, important to detect possible risks at an early stage. BfR assesses nanomaterials or products containing the latter and takes position in the public debate. Whether nanomaterials involve unknown risks for consumers has not yet been finally clarified in scientific terms.
Nanotechnology is a collective term for a broad range of technologies on a nanometer scale which contribute towards researching, processing and producing structures and materials up to market maturity. By means of nanotechnology it is possible to develop structures, techniques and systems which present completely new properties and functions. Against the backdrop of the current and the expected future developments in nanotechnologies and their use in all areas of life, it has to be assumed that production volumes will increase and that there will hence be a more frequent release of many different nanomaterials.
What are nanomaterials?
Nanomaterials are subdivided on the one hand into three types of nanoobjects which are at least one dimension smaller than 100 nanometers (nm):
- Spherical structures (eg nanoparticles and fullerenes),
- Fibrous structures (eg nanotubes),
- Extremely thin layers (eg nanoplatelets),
and on the other hand into so-called nanostructured materials such as aggregates or composites which contain such nanoobjects.
Nanoparticles can be introduced into the ambient air from natural or artificial combustion sources as ultra fine dusts (eg volcano ash, cigarette smoke, exhaust gases) and develop unintentionally in working and production processes (eg welding fume).
Furthermore, nanomaterials are used in a targeted manner in many technical areas but also in consumer articles such as coatings or packaging materials (so-called ENM – engineered nanomaterials). Examples for selectively produced nanomaterials are nanosilver, carbon nanotubes, nano titanium dioxide or the so-called nanotone which are already processed in many consumer articles (cosmetics, textiles, packaging materials and composites).
The targeted manufacturing of nanomaterials exploits the favourable surface-to-volume ratio in this tiny dimension which provides these materials with special and novel properties. The trend in manufacturing moves increasingly away from a top down approach (eg grinding of a fine-particle starting material) to a bottom up strategy which partly allows the synthetic manufacturing or assembly of nanohybrids with desired properties.
These novel properties can, as a matter of principle, also have a detrimental impact on human health if released particles get into the body, with a very fine distribution and possible accumulation in different organs.
Risk assessment
The scientific risk assessment of BfR focuses on selectively manufactured nanomaterials. Whether these new nanomaterials or products containing such materials can involve unknown risks for consumers has not yet been definitively clarified in scientific terms. In a risk appraisal the dangerous properties on the one hand and the actual exposure on the other hand must be examined. This means that risks might result, more particularly, from nanoproducts in which dangerous nanomaterials occur in a non bound form or can be easily released from them.
Reasons for nanomaterials possibly involving risks are:
- The particular (physical–chemical) properties of a nanomaterial, eg large reactive (reaction promoting) surfaces;
- The special behaviour in the human body, eg a long retention time and the overcoming of natural biological barriers;
- The burdening to be expected from a release.
BfR also deals with the risk assessment of nanotechnological applications in many different consumer articles such as chemicals, foods and their packaging, cosmetic agents, articles of daily use but also pesticides and biocides.
Dialogue and research activities on nanotechnology
During the past years BfR has made a major contribution towards the debate about possible risks of nanotechnology and nanomaterials in the field of consumer protection. Several dialogue and research activities were initiated, including
- The first German consumer conference on the perception of nanotechnology in the field of foods, cosmetics and textiles
- Symposiums, workshops and information events such as the 6th BfR Forum on Consumer Protection: Nanotechnology in the focus of consumer health protection
- A representative survey amongst the population on the perception of nanotechnology in Germany
(2.3 MB) - A joint research strategy on nanotechnology together with the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the Federal Environmental Agency
BfR is also represented on many national, European and international bodies dealing with this topic such as the OECD Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials (WPMN) and the EFSA Scientific Network for Risk Assessment of Nanotechnologies in Food and Feed.
Publications - BfR-Wissenschaft
|
Date
|
Title
|
Größe
|
|---|---|---|
|
17.04.2009 BfR-Wissenschaft 03/2009 |
BfR Consumer Conference Nanotechnology |
1.2 MB
|
Opinion
|
Date
|
Title
|
Größe
|
|---|---|---|
|
15.04.2010 Joint BfR and UBA Opinion Nr. 005/2011 |
Assessment of potential cancer risk of nanomaterials and nanoparticles released from products |
31.4 KB
|
|
28.12.2009 BfR Opinion Nr. 024/2010 |
BfR recommends that nano-silver is not used in foods and everyday products |
27.9 KB
|
|
03.07.2008 BfR Opinion No. 001/2009 |
The data situation for the assessment of the use of nanotechnology in food and food-contact articles is still not satisfactory |
30.3 KB
|
other
|
Date
|
Title
|
Größe
|
|---|---|---|
|
12.03.2009 BfR-Wissenschaft 01/2009 |
Public Perceptions about Nanotechnology |
2.3 MB
|
|
01.12.2007 Research Strategy |
Nanotechnology: Health and environmental risks of nanomaterials |
447.9 KB
|
|
20.11.2006 Consumers vote on nanotechnology |
BfR Consumer Conference on Nanotechnology in Foods, Cosmetics and Textiles |
130.3 KB
|
|
Draft, August 2006 |
Nanotechnology: Health and Environmental Risks of Nanoparticles - Research Strategy |
280.6 KB
|
Press information
|
Date
|
Title
|
Keywords |
|---|---|---|
|
12.04.2011 10/2011 |
Safety of nano silver in consumer products: many questions remain open | |
|
10.06.2010 08/2010 |
Nanosilver has no place in food, textiles or cosmetics | |
|
20.11.2008 24/2008 |
Nanotechnology in the focus of consumer health protection | |
|
10.11.2008 21/2008 |
Positive image of nanotechnology in the media | |
|
19.12.2007 23/2007 |
The majority of consumers view the development of nanotechnology favourably | |
|
24.11.2006 30/2006 |
Consumers call for comprehensible labelling and accompanying risk research on "nano"products | |
|
20.11.2006 B/2006 |
Consumer Conference Nanotechnology | |
|
22.08.2006 23/2006 |
More proactive communication on nanotechnology! | |
|
26.05.2006 12/2006 |
Nano particles were not the cause of health problems triggered by sealing sprays! | |
|
13.04.2006 10/2006 |
Cause of intoxications with nano spray not yet fully elucidated | |
|
07.04.2006 09/2006 |
Nanotechnology - Applications, Trends and Risks | |
|
03.04.2006 08/2006 |
Exercise caution when using "nano-sealing sprays" containing a propellant! |