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July 8, 2010

NanoBusiness Alliance Issues Position Statement on Sustainable Development of Nanotechnology

Lynn L. Bergeson

On July 1, 2010, the NanoBusiness Alliance issued a Position Statement on Nanomaterials Product Sustainability, which reflects its members’ “enduring commitment to managing effectively the environmental, health, and safety (EHS) implications of nanotechnology.” The NanoBusiness Alliance is committed to working with governments and nanomaterials stakeholders to manage the sustainable development and use of nanomaterials in a responsible way. The Position Statement states:

As an enabling technology applicable to diverse fields, including alternative energy, medicine, and electronics, among many others, nanotechnology offers tremendous value to society. As with any emerging technology, nanotechnology and nanoscale materials must be managed in a responsible way to identify and minimize any potential adverse effect on human health or the environment. The Alliance is committed to fostering the responsible and sustainable development of nanotechnology, to working with governmental and related nanotechnology stakeholders to develop appropriate scientific testing tools, methodologies, and data to characterize nanoscale materials, and to developing informed, science-based governance policies, laws, standards, practices, and regulations pertinent to nanoscale materials.