Protecting Us from Nano

Nanoparticles engineered in laboratories have become ubiquitous—in ultralight bicycle frames, antiwrinkle creams, iPhones, silver-infused antimicrobial clothing, and other everyday products. There's a chance that some of these engineered molecules could be entering our cells, potentially threatening our health.

Nanotechnology involves the manipulation of chemical elements on the nano scale (a single strand of hair is 100,000 nanometers wide). When scientists fiddle on this minuscule level, they can alter an element's properties, causing it to behave in entirely new ways. For example, a normally white compound can be made clear; something soft can be made rigid. Nanotechnology has thus become a critical component in "new and improved" products, from antimicrobial plastic storage containers to clear sunscreens. But many nano-enabled products, without undergoing careful study of their possible toxicity, are incorporated into common consumer items that are applied directly to the skin or that can potentially be ingested or inhaled. A widely cited study published last May in Nature Nanotechnology, the leading scientific journal in its field, demonstrated that hollow carbon nanotubes injected into the gut wall of test rodents caused inflammation similar to asbestos disease. The findings were quickly followed by other research indicating that nanosize carbon particles known as buckyballs are absorbed into animal cells.

Despite the growing evidence of their potential health hazards, federal agencies have not called for nanocarbon products to undergo safety testing. The U.S. nanoproduct industry, projected to grow to $1.5 trillion by 2015, is understandably eager to push new goods onto the market, but many experts are urging caution. "Nano-cosmetics are the kind of nanoproduct we can do without," says Jennifer Sass, a senior scientist with NRDC. "We're not talking about a lipstick that saves lives."

In congressional hearings and industry conferences, NRDC has advocated mandatory labeling on nano-enabled consumer products sold in stores and has called for more stringent safeguards to prevent potentially hazardous products from ever reaching the marketplace. Progress has been made: several cosmetic companies have decided not to use untested nanomaterials in their products.