Advances in material science have taken us into the age of nanotechnology. Nanotech issues and ideas metaphorically presented in the movie The Fantastic Voyage in 1963 are here. Nano engineered materials are being incorporated into everyday products such as materials to make them stain or bacteria resistant, tennis rackets to make them stronger and lighter, sunscreens to make them more effective, and drug delivery vehicles for super precise delivery of a drug at a desired site. The promise of nano materials appears to be wide, impacting many industries and products.
With the development of new nano-level technologies, there are significant EHS considerations. Human and environmental health considerations are not well understood for many of these materials. Cutting-edge research is being conducted, but there is a general consensus in the public health field that this research is not keeping pace with materials development.
From a Green to Gold and Quantum EHS perspective, nanotechnology advances represent another example of the importance of integrating EHS thinking with business strategy. Nanotechnology decisions in companies are not just business decisions, they need to consider EHS risks. Companies that get this right can have a competitive advantage. Those that don’t can have immediate, as well as decades, of costs and risks.
© Redinger EHS, Inc. (2010)