SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT IN ASIA-PACIFIC

The report provides a comprehensive overview of nanotechnology's expansion across Asia-Pacific, detailing national initiatives in countries such as India, China, Japan, and Australia. It highlights a critical gap between rapid commercialization and the lack of specific regulatory frameworks to manage health and environmental risks. The document details potential hazards, including the asbestos-like pathogenicity of carbon nanotubes and the ecotoxicity of silver and zinc oxide nanoparticles. It further analyzes the potential for nanotechnology to displace employment through product multifunctionality and increased durability. Finally, it discusses the role of the Strategic Approach for International Chemical Management (SAICM) in establishing global guidance for the sound management of manufactured nanomaterials.

• Nanotechnology is being promoted in the Asia-Pacific region to address chronic challenges such as treating malaria and tuberculosis, making water drinkable, and diversifying energy sources, yet awareness of its social and environmental risks remains low among governments and civil society.
• Many Asia-Pacific countries lack specific nanotechnology regulations, allowing products to enter the market unregulated and unlabeled, which fails to guarantee consumer safety or provide necessary information.
• Carbon nanotubes have been shown to exhibit asbestos-like pathogenicity, causing granulomas in the lungs and mesothelioma in mice.
• Engineered nanomaterials can enter the human body through inhalation, ingestion, and skin penetration; some, like titanium dioxide, may cross the placental barrier and affect male embryos.
• Nanomaterials pose significant ecotoxicological risks, including reducing plant biomass, damaging soil microbes, and causing disorientation in fish.
• The incineration of waste containing nanomaterials can lead to higher emissions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and the formation of chlorinated furans.
• Nanotechnology may lead to job losses by creating multifunctional products that replace multiple existing goods and by increasing product durability, which reduces demand for replacement and maintenance services.
• The Strategic Approach for International Chemical Management (SAICM) has identified manufactured nanomaterials as an emerging policy issue, recommending the development of international technical and regulatory guidance to avoid a 'nano-divide' between developed and developing nations.

APA

Azoulay, D., Senjen, R., & Foladori, G. (2013). SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT IN ASIA-PACIFIC. Center for International Environmental Law. https://ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Nano_AsiaPacific_Mar2014.pdf

Chicago

Azoulay, David, Rye Senjen, and Guillermo Foladori. SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT IN ASIA-PACIFIC. Center for International Environmental Law, 2013. https://ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Nano_AsiaPacific_Mar2014.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Azoulay |first1=David |last2=Senjen |first2=Rye |last3=Foladori |first3=Guillermo |title=SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT IN ASIA-PACIFIC |publisher=Center for International Environmental Law |date=September 2013 |url=https://ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Nano_AsiaPacific_Mar2014.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{azoulay2013social, author = {Azoulay, David and Senjen, Rye and Foladori, Guillermo}, title = {{SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT IN ASIA-PACIFIC}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2013}, month = sep, url = {https://ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Nano_AsiaPacific_Mar2014.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }