Why a Nanomaterials Risk Framework?
Comment. The Framework document should at least attempt to address what is known or suspected about unique risks that make nanomaterials worthy of being addressed in this risk framework document. This topic can be used to segue to discussion of the “precautionary principle” and the appropriate stance that those using the Framework should take toward inferring nanomaterial safety or hazard potential by comparison to similar materials. Discussion: Nanomaterials are opening a new area of technology with applications to the material and biological sciences, but for which we have not yet fully developed a universally accepted materials science or chemical understanding and terminology. It is as if we are not quite sure where nanomaterials belong in the spectrum of chemistry and material science. This status is reflected, for example, in the complete absence of ways to distinguish nano-materials from other materials of the same chemical composition in the chemical abstracts registry, and in
