What do asbestos and nanotechnology have in common? One is a naturally-occurring fibrous mineral that was heavily used for industrial and construction purposes last century, and the other is a new and potentially revolutionary technology-doesn’t seem, on the surface, that there’s anything in common there.

However, an environmental advocacy group called the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition disagrees, and has released a report asking that nanotechnology manufacturing in Silicon Valley be more tightly regulated. The report suggests that nanotechnology manufacturing might cause health problems similar to those caused by asbestos.

Asbestos is known to cause two serious lung diseases-asbestosis, and mesothelioma, a type of cancer that most often develops in the lining of the lungs. Both diseases are caused only by asbestos exposure, and both are difficult to treat, and ultimately incurable. Mesothelioma in particular is a highly lethal disease that is treatment-resistant and has an almost 100% mortality rate.

According to the SVTC report, similar diseases might result from working around nanotechnology: “Small particles are associated with well-known diseases such as asbestosis and silicosis, granulomas, and lung inflammation. Based on this knowledge, we can expect that the inhalation of particles as small as engineered nanoparticles could be hazardous.”

Very little is actually known about the potential health hazards associated with nanotechnology. Some nanomaterials are known to cause brain damage in fish, and some are known to be inhalable. Some might cause environmental issues if they are allowed to enter water environments.

Because of this potential hazard, SVTC is asking that nanotechnology-specific environmental regulations be devised. This includes labeling requirements for any products that contain nanomaterials, as well as new local laws that would require nanotechnology companies to disclose the types of chemicals they use in manufacturing nanomaterials.

Sheila Davis, SVTC Executive Director and spokesperson, said of the issue, “We’re looking at a new technology, and we have a 40- or 50-year-old environmental policy framework.” According to Davis, the majority of current US environmental regulations apply to large-scale production, and nanomanufacturing plants slip through the regulatory net because they don’t generate large volumes of products or waste.

Nanotechnology has emerged as a major industry in Silicon Valley. There are more than 110 companies in the area with nanotechnology manufacturing or researching facilities.

SVTC fears that toxic spills similar to those that occurred in Santa Clara Country in 1981 might be on the cards if the government doesn’t act now to regulate nanotechnology companies more rigorously. Sheila Davis believes that regulatory bodies “just need to learn from our [past] lessons. There’s no reason we should repeat them.”

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 16th, 2008 at 5:13 pm and is filed under Asbestos Exposure, Mesothelioma Treatment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.