risk assessment of nanotechnology wesley e. smith, ph.d. senior fellow ceeh
TRANSCRIPT
Risk assessment of nanotechnology
Wesley E. Smith, Ph.D.Senior FellowCEEHhttp://thereadingroom.epsilonfoundation.com.au/technology/nano-tech-godzilla/
Outline
What is nanotechnology?
What is the state of nanotechnology risk assessment?
What is happening at the UW?
What is nanotechnology?
How big is a nanometer (nm)?
A humanhairdivided 100,000X
Sheet of paper is about 100,000 nmthick.
Blondhair is probably 15,000 to 50,000 nmin diameter, butblackhair is likely to bebetween 50,000 and 180,000 nm.
Thereare 25,400,000 nmin an inch.
A nanometer is a millionth of a millimeter (10-9)http://www.nano.gov/html/facts/whatIsNano.html
http://www.nano.gov/html/facts/The_scale_of_things.html
What is nanotechnology?
“Nanotechnology is the understanding and control of matter at dimensions between approximately 1 and 100 nanometers, where unique phenomena enable novel applications”
Involves multiple disciplines, including science, engineering and technology
“Wet” –involving aqueous systems
“Dry”-surface chemistry, semiconductors
Computational-modeling nanosystems
Nanosized particles (NSPs)
Promises of Nanotechnology
Clean, secureaffordableenergy
prototypesolarpanelsoffer the possibility of beingmoreefficient. Likewise, nanotechnology is beingemployed in fuelcelldevelopment
http://www.nano.gov/html/facts/home_facts.html
CleanWater
variousnanomaterialshold the potential for the detection of impurities (pollutants, microbes, etc), as well as removal of them
What is special (scary) aboutnano?
Unusualphysical, chemical, and biologicalcharacteristics at nanoscale
Individualnanoparticleshavedifferentpropertiesthanbulksolution
Greatersurfacearea/volume-potentiallymorereactive
Ability to manipulateindividualparticles
Currentapplications of nanotech
Nano-Care® StressfreeKhakis-(Gap)
“NanoémulsionPeauxSensiblesCalming Emulsion”-(Chanel)
“The Samsung 65-nm 8-Gbit NAND flash (K9G8G08U0M)”-(Apple)
Public inventory: http://www.nanotechproject.org/inventories/consumer/
Where is nanotechnology?
http://www.nanotechproject.org/maps/mappage.html
What is the state of nanotechnology risk
assessment?
Donanomaterialspresent a risk to human and
environmentalhealth?The verysamephysical and chemicalcharacteristics of nanomaterialsthatgivepromise, alsohave the potential for peril.
Effectsarenotwellcharacterized.
Ultrafineparticles (UFPs) generallycausemoretoxicity in lungmodels
Reactivity of someparticlesincreases as surfacearea-volumeratioincreases
Represents a veryimportantneed for research.
Key Words of Toxicology
Hazard X Exposure = Risk
Individual Susceptibility
Dose / Response
Key Words of Toxicology
Hazard X Exposure = Risk
Individual Susceptibility
Dose / Response
Who is at risk?Humans
Workers
Consumers
Susceptible: elderly and children
WildlifeAquatic life
Terrrestial life
EcosystemFlora
Fauna
Biodistribution
Federal oversight
NNI has provisions for funding for environmental, health, and safety studies (EHS)
Under the Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology subcommittee (NSET), Nanotechnology Environmental Health Implications working group (NEHI WG) functions as an interagency forum on understanding potential risks of nanotech.
NNI EHS DocumentStrategy for Nanotechnology-relatedEnvironmental, Health, and SafetyResearch
In FY2006, $68 millioninvested into 246 projects at 7 agencies.
Summarizesprimaryresearchcategories:– Instrumentation, Metrology, and
AnalyticalMethods– Nanomaterials and Human Health– Nanomaterials and the Environment– Human and
EnvironmentalExposureAssessment– Risk Management Methods
Strategy for Nanotechnology-related Environmental, Health,
and Safety researchWho is responsible?
1 National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) Instrumentation, metrology, and analytical methods
2 National Institutes of Health (NIH) Nanomaterials and human health
3 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Nanomaterials and the environment
4 National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Human and environmental exposure assessment
5 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Risk management (also EPA)
Role of nanotechnology-related EHS research in risk management of
nanomaterials
Key Words of Toxicology
Hazard X Exposure = Risk
Individual Susceptibility
Dose / Response
Research at the UW
Toxicology of Quantum Dots
Kavanagh (DEOHS)
Gao (BIOE)
Multiple in vitro cell lines
Transgenic miceVarious routes of exposure
Applications of Qdots
Medical imagingCancer
Diagnostics
Therapeutics
Biological imaging agent
“Tag” proteins
Monitor cellular uptake
Gao, Nature,
Why are Qdots special?
Why examine the liver?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mitopencourseware/
Primary site of xenobiotic metabolism
Common site of toxicity Resident macrophages
sequester bacteria from gut
Architecture of liver sinusoid
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mitopencourseware/
Experimental setup
Dose-response relationships evaluated:
1. Uptake2. Viability (MTT)3. GSH levels4. Cell death
Disposition of Qdots in cultured human hepatocytes
Summary and conclusions
Qdots are sequestered by a subpopulation of cells in human hepatocyte cultures
Stable Qdots have no effect on viability of human hepatocytesin vitro
Thus far, this preparation of Qdots does not appear to be hepatotoxic