Are Man-Made Nanomaterials Toxic?
Jun 26, 2007 Nanotechnology, the science of manipulating extremely small particles–those ranging in size range of 1 to 100 nanometers–is one of the fastest growing technologies in the global business, scientific, and safety communities. Manmade nanomaterials are found in hundreds of consumer products such as cosmetics, clothing, and personal care products. But are they safe? EPA has awarded two grants totaling almost $600,000 to Oregon State University (OSU) for research designed to answer that question. Specifically, the grant studies will evaluate whether some man-made nanomaterials could be toxic to human health. The first OSU grant award, for $400,000, will screen a wide range of commonly manufactured nanomaterials to determine their potential interactions with biological processes. If the OSU research team finds nanomaterials that produce adverse effects, they will identify the potential cellular and genetic targets of these nanomaterials and group the particles by composition a
