A Step by Step Risk Assessment in Nanotech

Manfred Lindinger reports in FAZ (14.10.2005) about safety issues in nanotech. The German ministry for the environment launched a debate on risks and opportunities of nanoscience. Diverse societal groups attended. For instance, environmentalists demanded to bring the debate on safety issues to the public?mentioning the British Nanojury project as an example. On the other hand, representatives of industry said that nanotech materials don't pose any new threads and that existing legislation is sufficient. In contrast, another corporate scientist said that it's very hard to characterize nanomaterials and nanoparticles to attribute risks: "In principle any compound or particle has to be characterized for toxicity for its own," Wolfgang Luther of the Federation of German Industries (BDI) is quoted.