Introduction - Nanotechnologies for Water Environment Applications - page 11

nature, a higher quality of life, and increased productivity in nearly all industrial
branches. Others believe that nanotechnology is a “technological tsunami” that will
result in significant social disruption, “fundamentally altering the way people live.”
Nano skeptics believe that a nano-divide appears inevitable, which will develop first
between the nano-poor (most of the world's poorest countries) and the nano-enabled
countries (Miller and Senjen, 2006). Moreover, nanotechnology may be used to develop
chemical/biological weapons or for military purposes, which has the potential to
destabilize international relationships via a nano-arms race. Obviously, it is too early to
say which opinion is right. Considering the historical mistakes made by us (e.g., PCBs,
asbestos), it would be wiser for us to handle NMs with great cautions.

Programs have been implemented of public dialogue and social research on ELSI
of nanotechnology. The two broad areas have dominated discussions: the possible
toxicity of NMs and issues of public engagement and democratization of science. One
important issue is that consumers should have the right to know what is in a product
because, in many cases, manufacturers have published no information on tests done on
nanotechnology products and their health hazards, or have not labeled consumer
products as containing NMs (ETUC, 2008). For this reason, the ETUC (2008) demands
full compliance with “no data, no market” principle, that is, to refuse to register
chemicals for which manufacturers fail to supply the data required to ensure the
manufacture, marketing and use of their nanometer forms that has no harmful effects for
human health and the environment at all stages of their life cycle (ETUC, 2008).
Obviously, implementation of this principle means considerable resources need to be
injected. Compared with other areas, however, research funding in the ELSI area is
small. Therefore, the ETUC calls for at least 15% of the research budgets related to
nanotechnology to be earmarked for health and environmental aspects and to require all
research projects to include health and safety aspects as a compulsory part of their
reporting (ETUC, 2008).

A truly precautionary approach to compliance with “no data, no market”
principle is to develop new regulations with respect to the ELSI of nanotechnology.
Although regulatory bodies (e.g., USEPA, FDA) have started dealing with the NMs'
potential risks, NMs remain effectively unregulated, that is, if the materials have already
been approved in bulk form, the corresponding NMs are not subject to any special
regulation regarding production, handling or labeling. This situation needs to be
changed; NMs need to be regulated as new chemicals.

1.5 Summary

Described as the “engine of the next industrial revolution,” nanotechnologies
have a far-reaching development and application potential. The real transformative