Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Commentary
  • Published:

Late lessons from early warnings for nanotechnology

Nature Nanotechnology volume 3, pages 444–447 (2008)Cite this article

A new technology will only be successful if those promoting it can show that it is safe, but history is littered with examples of promising technologies that never fulfilled their true potential and/or caused untold damage because early warnings about safety problems were ignored. The nanotechnology community stands to benefit by learning lessons from this history.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. The Nanotech Report 2004 (Lux Research, New York, 2001).

  2. Harremoës, P. et al. Late Lessons from Early Warnings: The Precautionary Principle 1896–2000 (European Environmental Agency, Copenhagen, 2001).

    Google Scholar 

  3. The Royal Society & The Royal Academy of Engineering. Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies: Opportunities and Uncertainties (Royal Society, London, 2004).

  4. Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly-Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) The Appropriateness of the Risk Assessment Methodology in Accordance with the Technical Guidance Documents for New and Existing Substances for Assessing the Risks of Nanomaterials (European Commission, Brussels, 2007)

  5. Moore, M. N. Environment International 32, 967–976 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Tsuji, J. S. et al. Toxicol. Sci. 89, 42–50 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Oberdorster, G. et al. Part. Fibre Toxicol. 2, 8 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. SCENIHR Modified Opinion (after public consultation) on the Appropriateness of Existing Methodologies to Assess the Potential Risks Associated with Engineered and Adventitious Products of Nanotechnologies (European Commission Health & Consumer Protection Directorate-General, 2006).

  9. Strategy for Nanotechnology-Related Environmental, Health and Safety Research (National Nanotechnology Initiative, Washington DC, 2008).

  10. Maynard, A. Nanotechnology: A Research Strategy for Addressing Risk (Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Washington, DC, 2006).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Maynard, A.D. et al. Nature 444, 267–269 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Karn, B., Roco, M., Masciangioli, T. & Savage, N. Nanotechnology and the Environment Report of a National Nanotechnology Initiative Workshop (National Science and Technology Council/Committee on Technology/Subcommittee on Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology, Arlington, Virginia, 2003).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Lynch, J. Int. J. Epidemiol. 35, 1119–1122 (2006).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Inventory Status of Nanoscale Substances — General Approach (US/EPA/TSCA, 2007).

  15. Weiss, R. Washington Post A01 (8 April 2006).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Gavelin, K., Wilson, R. & Doubleday, R. Democratic Technologies? The Final Report of the Nanotechnology Engagement Group (NEG) (Involve, London, 2007).

    Google Scholar 

  17. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/4423847.stm.

  18. Roco, M. & Bainbridge, W. S. J. Nanopart. Res. 7, 1–13 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Statement of Richard A. Denison, Environmental Defense before the US House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology at a Hearing on Research on Environmental and Safety impacts of Nanotechnology (31 October 2007); http://democrats.science.house.gov/Media/File/Commdocs/hearings/2007 /research/31oct/Denison_testimony.pdf

  20. Oberdorster, G., Ferin, J., Gelein, R., Soderholm, S. C. & Finkelstein, G. Environ. Health Persp. 97, 193–199 (1992).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Hansen, S. F., Larsen, B. H., Olsen, S. I., & Baun, A. Nanotoxicology 1, 243–250 (2007).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Engineering, NanoDTU Environment and Health, Technical University of Denmark, Building 113, Kgs. Lyngby, DK 2800, Denmark

    Steffen Foss Hansen & Anders Baun

  2. Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, 20004-3027, DC, USA

    Andrew Maynard

  3. Department of Community Health and Sustainability, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, 01854, Massachusetts, USA

    Joel A. Tickner

Authors
  1. Steffen Foss Hansen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Andrew Maynard
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Anders Baun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Joel A. Tickner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Steffen Foss Hansen.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Foss Hansen, S., Maynard, A., Baun, A. et al. Late lessons from early warnings for nanotechnology. Nature Nanotech 3, 444–447 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2008.198

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2008.198

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing