Burgeoning use of nanotechnology by industry requires increased federal spending on research into potential risks, says a report from the National Academy of Sciences released Jan. 25.

Engineered nanomaterials--materials on the order of one billionth of a meter--were used in $225 billion worth of product sales in 2009, including pharmaceuticals, solar cells and food additives. But, critical gaps remain in understanding matters such as the effects of nanomaterials on human health and the environment, the report says.

The 19 academics and industry representatives empaneled by the national academy says between $22 million and $24 million annually of federally financed research should go toward supporting infrastructure for research and development  that can address the knowledge gap on top of the approximately $120 million the government already spends supporting nanomaterial R&D.

They also call for an agency other than the National Nanotechnology Initiative to oversee risk research, stating that NNI's role as a promoter of nanotechnology makes it unsuited to the task.

Nanomaterials present a difficult subject for risk assessments, the panel's report acknowledges, since the many variations of nanomaterials and "the plethora of inorganic and organic macromolecular coatings affect...surface chemistry."

Depending on the surroundings of a nonmaterial, its surface properties may change, the report adds. In addition, nanomaterials released into the environment undergo transformation such as dissolution, aggregation, disaggregation and chemical transformation. Most toxicity studies have concentrating on testing a single material, leading to incomplete information on the full array of nanomaterials used in products, the report says.

Nanomaterial manufacturers generated $1 billion worth of sales in 2009, or about 3,500 tons total, the report adds. Ceramic nanoparticles accounted for half of the volume.

For more:
- go to  a National Academies Press website with a link to a free .pdf of the report (reg. req.)

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