Brief background information on nanotechnology and nanomaterials

This briefing by the IPEN Nanotechnology Working Group highlights the widespread commercial use of nanoparticles despite significant uncertainties regarding their health and environmental toxicity. It notes a critical lack of mandatory labelling, inadequate safety assessments, and a lag in nanosafety research. The document warns that nanotechnology could intensify global socio-economic inequities and calls on governments and industry to adopt the precautionary principle, ensure the 'right to know' for workers and consumers, and establish a transparent global governance framework.

• Nanotechnology involves materials and processes operating at a scale of a few hundred nanometres or less. Manufactured nanoparticles are already integrated into hundreds of commercial products, including cosmetics, foods, clothing, agrochemicals, and sunscreens.
• There is significant uncertainty regarding the health and environmental impacts of nanoparticles, exacerbated by a lack of industry information sharing and the absence of mandatory registration or labelling. Research indicates that nanoparticles can pose toxicity risks, potentially cause asbestos-like pathogenicity and mesothelioma in mice, and may cross the placenta to affect developing embryos.
• Most nanoproducts enter the market without nanoparticle-specific safety assessments or use incorrect testing protocols. Nanosafety research lags behind commercialisation, and international efforts, such as the OECD nanomaterials sponsorship programme, only cover a small portion of materials in circulation.
• Scientific and financial institutions, including the UK's Royal Society and Swiss Re, as well as the International Forum on Chemical Safety (IFCS), have called for the application of the precautionary principle in managing nanotechnologies due to emerging toxicity risks.
• Nanotechnology may exacerbate global socio-economic inequality, as breakthroughs are unlikely to benefit the poor and developing countries may disproportionately bear risks by becoming dumping grounds for waste or hosting manufacturing rejected by wealthy nations.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (n.d.). Brief background information on nanotechnology and nanomaterials. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/IPEN_Beijing_Nano_22Dec09.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Brief background information on nanotechnology and nanomaterials. n.d. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/IPEN_Beijing_Nano_22Dec09.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Brief background information on nanotechnology and nanomaterials |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/IPEN_Beijing_Nano_22Dec09.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallawndbrief, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Brief background information on nanotechnology and nanomaterials}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/IPEN_Beijing_Nano_22Dec09.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }