Tirsdag 9. februar 2010
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Activities:
The Danish Board of Technology’s collection of topics for the year 2010 A Clear Message from World Citizens to COP15 Politicians BaltCICA-Climate Change: Impacts, Costs and Adaptation in the Baltic Sea Region 4 citizens' meetings debating the future of the healthcaresystem Demand Driven Technoloical Innovation Environmentally friendly building in practice - what are we waiting for? STOA workshop on Food Issues and Human Health Project Description: World Wide Views On Global Warming World Wide Views on Global Warming Privacy and Security Technology (PRISE) EPTA - Genetically modified plants and food STOA project - The future of European long distance transport The Policy Challenges of Electronic Privacy Tomorrow’s Fuels for the Transport Sector: A Danish Perspective How are we going to use the increased knowledge on the human brain? |
Toxicology and Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is often depicted as the technology of the 21st century and for sure the potential benefits of nanotechnology are many. Knowledge about possible health risks and environmental hazards following the development of nanotechnology is still sparse and more research is needed. There is also a need to examine whether the present law covers nanoparticles and products. Nanotechnology is a general term that includes all technologies working on the nanoscale - from 0,1 to 100 nanometre. Nanotechnology is an interdisciplinary subject area and involves disciplines such as physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, electronics etc. The purpose of working on the nanoscale is to create and use materials and components with new functional properties.Although nanotechnology is still at an early stage in its development, there are already products on the market that have been produced by using nanotechnology; e.g. sunscreen, catalysts, hard discs and paint. A challenge is, though, that conventional knowledge on chemical, physical and biological effects on human beings and the environment is not necessarily useful when operating at the nanoscale. Research on health effects and environmental effects is therefore in high demand both at national and international level. Purpose of the project The aim of the project was to assess whether nanotechnology can be handled within the existing framework of regulation. Furthermore, the project discuss and give recommendations to how risk assessment of nanotechnology can be systematized. The three main questions for the project to answer are:
Methodology The Danish Board of Technology appointed a working group of professionals with the object to draw up a report. The project included a workshop where other professionals got an opportunity to contribute to the discussion. The report address the above-mentioned questions and bring forward some recommendations. The working group consisted of:
Time frame The project were launched in October 2005 and finished in June 2006. Contacts Ulla Holm Vincentsen, project manager, uv@tekno.dk Anne Tellef, project assistant, at@tekno.dk Berit Aadal, project assistant, baa@tekno.dk Vivian Palm, project secretary, vp@tekno.dk Sidst opdateret: 21-04-2007
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