|
|
|
|
CNS-UCSB Researchers Help Identify Knowledge Gaps Affecting Nanotechnology |
|
|
|
|
November 13, 2006 |
Researchers from the Center for Nanotechnology in Society at the University of California, Santa Barbara (CNS-UCSB) played pivotal advisory roles as members of the research team that compiled the first publicly available international report on workplace environmental health and safety (EHS) and product stewardship practices for nanotechnology materials used by organizations around the world.
The multidisciplinary team of UCSB environmental and social scientists found that organizations have been hampered in developing comprehensive safe handling practices for workers dealing with nanotechnology materials due to a dearth of reliable information about the potential or known risks of exposure to the tiny particles.
“Because this is a relatively young field, it is not surprising that we still have a great deal to learn about the possible toxicological and environmental effects of working with nanomaterials,” stated Barbara Herr Harthorn, a medical anthropologist, CNS-UCSB lead Principal Investigator (PI) and co-director and one of the study’s co-PIs. “By showing where knowledge gaps exist, we hope the study will help researchers identify fruitful areas for future study. In addition, we hope that these findings provide a starting point for the development of workable and effective standards for safe handling and product stewardship of nanotechnologies.”
The team’s report, Survey of Current Practices in the Nanotechnology Workplace, was released on November 13, 2006 by the International Council on Nanotechnology (ICON), which funded the research on which the report is based. ICON is a coalition of academic, industrial, governmental and civil society organizations administered by Rice University’s Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology (CBEN).
The report presents findings from the second of a two-phase study on EHS practices used to protect workers who interact with nanotechnology materials on the job.
In the study’s first phase, which was also funded by ICON, the UCSB team identified, then reviewed 18 efforts by researchers from around the world to document or define nanotechnology EHS best practices. That report, which was released on October 18, 2006, can be found at our 'Publications ' section.
The Phase II report contains findings from a survey of 64 organizations engaged in researching, developing, producing, and/or using products involving nanomaterials, which are defined as engineered materials at dimensions of less than 100 nanometers. Such materials are used in the manufacture of electronics, cosmetics, clothing, sports equipment, and coatings. Participating organizations were located in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Among its broad array of findings, the survey revealed that organizations that have implemented EHS programs use practices adapted from those developed for handling other types of chemicals and hazardous materials, and do not necessarily take into account the particular characteristics of nanomaterials.
The report’s authors were an interdisciplinary team of UCSB faculty and graduate student researchers from the natural and social sciences. The team’s Principal Investigator (PI) was Dr. Patricia Holden, associate professor of environmental microbiology at UCSB’s Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management. Other Bren School researchers involved in the project were Co-PI and associate professor of corporate environmental management Dr. Magali Delmas, and Master of Environmental Science & Management (MESM) student researchers Gina Gerritzen, Li-Chin Huang, Keith Killpack, and Maria Mircheva.
In addition to Harthorn, CNS-UCSB Co-PI Richard Appelbaum served as a Co-PI on the ICON study, while Sociology doctoral candidate Joseph Conti served as a mentor to the Bren students, advising the team in data collection and analysis activities. The social scientists provided guidance to the Bren student researchers on designing and conducting survey research, as well as on interpreting the significance of their results. These included activities such as ensuring that UCSB human subjects’ guidelines were followed to protect the rights of survey participants; designing, developing and pretesting the study’s questionnaire; and assisting in the interpretation and reporting of study findings.
“One of the outcomes of the study is that we were able to develop the first publicly-available survey instrument that addresses nanotechnology EHS practices in light of the broader regulatory, industry, and public concerns that are emerging along with development of the field,” according to Harthorn. “Combining the expertise of social and natural scientists resulted in a much more thorough approach to studying these issues than would have been possible working from either perspective alone.”
Creating cross-disciplinary collaborations among social and natural scientists to study nanotechnology’s social impacts is central to the mission of CNS-UCSB. As Appelbaum noted, “This report is an excellent example of the fruits of collaboration across the ‘cultural divide’ that presumably separates social and physical scientists. Such collaborations, unfortunately, are all too rare in academia. At CNS-UCSB, social scientists are working closely with physical scientists and engineers to address the societal impacts of nanotechnology. The result is not only the deeper understanding that is reflected in this report, but a generation of young scholars who are far better
equipped to hold thoughtful conversations across the divide, thereby contributing to a more enlightened debate over science policy."
A copy of the Phase II report can be found on the CNS website at our 'Publications ' section. Additional information about the study and its findings is available at http://www.ia.ucsb.edu/pa/display.aspx?pkey=1519.
******************************************
To arrange an interview with Dr. Holden or other Bren School researchers, please contact James Badham by phone at (805) 893-5049, or by e-mail at james@bren.ucsb.edu.
For interviews with Dr. Harthorn or the other CNS members of the research team, contact Dr. Harthorn directly at harthorn@isber.ucsb.edu, or by phone at (805) 893-3350.
|
|
Last Updated ( January 24, 2007 )
|
|
