October 22, 2005
Nano News: New Toxicity Framework
A new report..When it comes to providing recommendations to companies, "I think this report represents an excellent beginning framework," ...this framework "could help work towards global harmonization of approaches..
The strategy has three key elements...In the past, when scientists tested how toxic compounds were, properties such as the size or shape that material came in were often not considered important. Research now shows the toxic properties of a material can vary dramatically on how these other properties change...The report notes that until scientists have a better understanding of how these characteristics may render a nanomaterial more or less hazardous, they should consider all such properties potentially significant and measure them as best possible.
The strategy's other elements involve testing how toxic a nanomaterial is against cells or tissues grown in labs (in vitro studies) and how toxic it is against live animals (in vivo studies). While in vitro studies are cheaper, (David Warheit, a staff toxicologist at DuPont's Haskell Laboratory in Delaware) noted in vitro studies could get directly opposite effects from in vivo studies. Until the accuracy of in vitro studies in nanomaterial toxicology are validated, "in my opinion, they're not they're yet" as useful screens, he said.
A major consideration researchers should have when it comes to nanomaterial toxicology is how inhaled nanomaterials could move from the lungs into the blood and lymph and then distant organs to a greater extent than bulk materials such as fibers would. "A screening strategy should look at the impact of particles on other organs," Warheit said.
~Too many 'coulds' and 'shoulds' being recommended for this dangerous technology. How many tons of nano-particles are being manufactured every year?
"Measure them as best possible"?? There's nothing as scary or as infuriating as scientists equivocating.
[nanotech illus via google\ not above]
~This image doesn't fit how I imagine nanotech should look. I don't know how it should look. I put this illustration here like a letter in a word I don't know yet, but it'll come to me in time?
Posted by Cieciel at October 22, 2005 06:20 AM