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SUMMARY:Nanotechnology and precautionary risk management - Professor Rolan
 d Clift (Centre for Environmental Strategy\, University of Surrey)
DTSTART:20061206T170000Z
DTEND:20061206T180000Z
UID:TALK5863@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Tom Counsell
DESCRIPTION:As a new and promising technology\, nanotechnology needs to le
 arn form the experience of past innovation including nuclear power and Gen
 etically Modified Organisms (GMOs).  This experience shows that it is esse
 ntial to be proactive in managing risks and responding to possible public 
 concern over these risks.  This paper reviews how this might be achieved.\
 nTo start with\, there is a need to establish and quantify\, however appro
 ximately\, what the real advantages might be in deploying nanotechnology\,
  particularly in electromechanical and energy conversion devices.  This ca
 n be achieved by Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)\, and existing LCA methodolog
 y should be capable of establishing whether the benefits of using nanotech
 nology outweigh the resources used to produce engineered nanomaterials.\nM
 ore uncertainty surrounds the possible impacts on human health and the env
 ironment of using engineered nanomaterials. There is reason to think\, and
  some limited evidence\, that nanoparticles can have harmful effects on hu
 mans and on non-human organisms.  This argues for a precautionary approach
  to health and environmental risk management.  This contribution will expl
 ore what this might mean.  It implies a presumption against applications w
 hich would deliberately release nanoparticles into the environment.  It al
 so implies that manufactured products incorporating nanomaterials should b
 e subject to strict regulation of how they are to be handled at the ends o
 f their service lives. The scope for managing risks by treating nanomateri
 als as new chemicals under something like the European REACH regime is exp
 lored.  Precaution could perhaps be achieved by strengthening the European
  Directive on end-of-life management (particularly the Waste Electrical an
 d Electronic Equipment - WEEE - Directive)\; the implications and practica
 lity of this approach are explored.\n
LOCATION:Lecture Room\, Institute for Manufacturing IfM
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