Advancements in science sometimes boggle the mind. Take nanotechnology, for example. Researchers can now manipulate material at the atomic level to add various properties to new foods, plastics or consumer products. They can make products lighter, softer, or better able to retain moisture. There are now an estimated 1,300 products on the market that use Engineered Nanomaterials (ENMs).
Just as boggling as the scientific wonders of nanotechnology is the lack of regulation for this technology. The Environmental Protection Agency, like other U.S. regulatory agencies, has no regulations to ensure the health and safety of new nanotechnology products. For more, see our new report, Racing Ahead: U.S. Agri-Nanotechnology in the Absence of Regulation.
In agriculture, one of the major uses of nanotechnology is in pesticides. The EPA believes that there are already unapproved and unregulated pesticides in the marketplace that contain the bio-cide nanosilver. Experimental studies with laboratory rats indicate that inhaled ENMs can have “adverse lung effects.” Experiments with rainbow trout demonstrate that ENMs absorbed through the skin or consumed orally can move through different organs with toxic effects and can contribute to decreased reproduction.
Now, the EPA has taken the first step toward regulation. It is requesting comments until August 15, 2011 on its draft voluntary guidance for gathering data on pesticides that incorporate nanoscale materials. This data is essential to determining human health or environmental risks. Submit a comment now to the EPA and help protect human health and environmental safety.
