25 June 2008: The social implications of Nanotechnologies

Download the Powerpoint presentation about the social implications of nanotechnologies

Time: 10:30h – 12:15h

Speaker : Pieter Van Broekhuizen, Coordinator of the NANOCAP Project (IVAM, University of Amsterdam, NL)

Presided by: Joël Decaillon (TBC), ETUC

Moderated by: Philippe Pochet, ETUI

Venue:

International Trade Union House,
first floor, Room C,
Boulevard du Roi Albert II, 5,
B-1210, Brussels

Please confirm your attendance by 20th June to:

Tristan Macdonald, Communication Officer, ETUI
+ 32 (0)2 224 0562
tmacdonald@etui.org

Nanotechnologies are emerging, trans-disciplinary technologies that enable structures or objects to be designed, manipulated and manufactured on a nanometer scale, i.e., the size of a handful of atoms or molecules. At this scale, the physicochemical properties of matter differ significantly from those obtained at larger scales. What all these technologies have in common, therefore, is to produce objects, called nanomaterials, that have new properties and behaviours that cannot be obtained easily or at all with conventional technologies.

Described as the “engine of the next industrial revolution”, nanotechnologies have a far-reaching development and application potential. Hundreds of consumer and manufactured products containing engineered nanomaterials or made with the use of nanomaterials are already on the market, for example in the areas of cosmetics, sporting goods, textiles, food, paints, constructions and electronic equipment. The most frequently cited estimate is that the world market in nanotechnologies will amount to 1 000 billion dollars by 2015. In terms of employment, it is claimed that nanotechnology development is likely to require an additional two to ten million workers across the world by 2014. Many of these jobs are likely to be created in Europe, mainly in start-up companies and in SMEs.

While nanotechnologies may bring major benefits to our society, they also raise many concerns about their potential risks to our health and the environment. There is a growing body of scientific evidence to suggest that some manufactured nanomaterials harbour new and unusual dangers. Workers all along the production chain are exposed to these new materials and it is unknown whether the safety procedures implemented are adequate or the protection measures applied are sufficient. Consumers are being exposed to products that contain nanomaterials unbeknown and uninformed about the potential risks. Nanomaterials are discharged and disseminated out into the open without knowing what the consequences may be and without effective ways of detecting and measuring them.

The development of these emerging technologies and the products from them poses huge challenges to our society in terms of regulatory and ethical frameworks. At the next ETUI monthly forum, Pieter Van Broekhuizen (University of Amsterdam) will talk about the social implications of nanotechnologies.

• The Health and Safety Department of ETUI-REHS has been involved in the NANOCAP Project since 2006. Read more.