Nanotechnology Lawyer & Attorney : Bergeson & Campbell Law Firm : Nanotechnology Law Blog

On September 18, 2008, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that, to ensure nanotechnology is developed in a responsible manner, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and EPA awarded $38 million to establish two Centers for the Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology (CEIN).  EPA contributed $5 million to the overall award, which is the largest award for nanotechnology research in its history.  The CEINs will conduct research on the possible environmental, health, and safety impacts of nanomaterials, using very different approaches than previous studies. Led by the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and Duke University, the CEINs will study how nanomaterials interact with the environment and human health, and are intended to result in better risk assessment and mitigation strategies to be used in the commercial development of nanotechnology.  Each CEIN will work as a network, connected to multiple research organizations, industry, and government agencies, and will emphasize interdisciplinary research and education.

According to EPA, the UCLA CEIN will develop a predictive scientific model to study the environmental and health effects of different types of nanomaterials and human health faster than can be done by traditional animal toxicity testing.  The model to be developed will consider: which nanomaterials are most likely to come into contact with the environment, which animals/plants can act as early sentinels of environmental changes, and high throughput methods to screen many chemicals quickly.

At Duke University’s CEIN, researchers plan to study the potential environmental and biological effects on a wide range of nanomaterials -- from natural to man-made, using a novel outdoor laboratory approach.  In the coming year, the research team will develop 32 tightly controlled and monitored ecosystems in Duke Forest in Durham, N.C.  Known as “mesocosms,” these living laboratories provide areas where researchers can add nanoparticles and study the resulting interactions and effects on plants, fish, bacteria, and other elements.

 

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On September 18, 2008, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that EPA Region 5 will host the 2008 International Environmental Nanotechnology Conference: Applications and Implications, October 7-9, 2008, in Chicago, Illinois. According to EPA, researchers from Asia, Australia, and Europe will join U.S. scientists and government officials to discuss nanotechnology applications for environmental cleanup, pollution control, and the implications of releasing engineered nanoparticles into the environment. Partner agencies represented at the conference include the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Science Foundation (NSF), U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and University of Illinois at Chicago’s Great Lakes Centers for Occupational and Environmental Safety and Health.

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“Nanotechnology: The Power of Small,” the first major television series to examine the implications of advances in nanotechnology, will begin airing on local public broadcasting stations in April 2008. The series is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the presenting station and grantee for the series is Oregon Public Broadcasting. In the episodes, award-winning National Public Radio correspondent John Hockenberry asks policymakers, scientists, journalists, and community leaders questions concerning nanotechnology’s potential to impact people’s privacy and security, health, and environment. Featured experts include Harvard University researcher George M. Whitesides, Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN) chief scientist Andrew Maynard, and author Joel Garreau, among others. On April 2, 2008, PEN and NSF will host the Washington, DC, premiere for the series.  The invitation-only event will include remarks by U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), Co-Chair of the Congressional Nanotechnology Caucus. The premiere is a “NanoDays 2008” special event.  “NanoDays 2008” is a weeklong series of community-based educational outreach programs focused on nanotechnology and engineering, sponsored by the Nanoscale Informal Science Education (NISE) Network.  “NanoDays 2008” programs are being held at science and natural history museums, universities, and policy and education centers around the nation from March 29, 2008, through April 6, 2008.

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On July 31, 2007, Representative Mike Honda (D-CA) introduced the Nanotechnology Advancement and New Opportunities (NANO) Act (HR 3235), which is intended to promote the development and responsible stewardship of nanotechnology in the U.S. Honda based the legislation on the recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Nanotechnology, a panel of California nanotechnology experts with backgrounds in established industry, startup companies, consulting groups, non-profits, academia, government, medical research, and venture capital convened by Honda and then-California State Controller Steve Westly during 2005.

The NANO Act would:

• Establish grant programs to address specific challenges in the areas of energy, environment, homeland security, and health;
• Create a public-private investment partnership to address the gap in commercial availability of nanotechnology;
• Establish a tax credit for investment in nanotechnology firms;
• Develop a strategy to increase interaction on nanotechnology interests between Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories and the informal science education community; and
• Direct the National Science Foundation (NSF) to establish a program to encourage manufacturing companies to enter into partnerships with occupational training centers for the development of training to support nanotechnology manufacturing.

The bill was referred to the House Committees on Science and Technology, Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and Homeland Security for each Committee’s consideration of the provisions falling within its jurisdiction.

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Two researchers at the University of Missouri -- Columbia’s College of Engineering have received an $84,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study the potential effects of silver nanoparticles on wastewater treatment systems. According to a university press release, Baolin Deng, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, and Zhiqiang Hu, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, “will determine how silver nanoparticles interact with bacteria that are used for wastewater treatment.” Already present in a wide range of consumer products, silver nanoparticles enter the wastewater stream when people who have used silver nanoparticle-enhanced products (e.g., cosmetics, bandages) wash themselves. The study is expected to be completed by June 2008.

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