Oct 3 2007
The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) will address minimizing the environmental and human health risks associated with the manufacture and use of nanotechnology products. Nanotechnology is the ability to measure, see, manipulate and manufacture things usually between 1 and 100 nanometers. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter; a human hair is roughly 100,000 nanometers wide.
More than 500 consumer products made of nanoscale materials, including some electronics, cosmetics, automotive, and medical products have been identified by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies. Last year, nanotechnology was incorporated into more than $50 billion in manufactured goods, according to the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies. By 2014, Lux Research estimates this figure will grow to $2.6 trillion.
Exploring environmentally safe processes in nanotechnology manufacturing is a component of the California Green Chemistry Initiative. Director Maureen Gorsen of DTSC is leading the initiative, a multi-agency state team that is exploring a different approach to environmental protection – transitioning away from managing toxic chemicals at the end of the lifecycle, to reducing or eliminating their use altogether. This new approach is similar to measures adopted by the European Union and the Canadian government to encourage greater manufacturer responsibility.
For more information on the agenda, visit http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/TechnologyDevelopment/Nanotechnology