Attack of the Tiny Particles - be slightly afraid

[lovuian]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2008/nov/12/nanotechnology-pollution

The government must begin a "major and urgent" effort to assess the safety of nanomaterials, the tiny particles commonly used in products as varied as sun creams, sports clothing and medicine, leading experts warn today.

Hundreds of consumer products made with nanoparticles, which can be 100 times smaller than a virus, are already on the market, despite an almost complete lack of knowledge of the dangers they may pose to human health and the environment, according to a report by the royal commission on environmental pollution.

Nanoparticles have been embraced as a wonder ingredient across manufacturing industry. Cosmetic companies add titanium dioxide nanoparticles to sun creams to make them transparent instead of white. Sports clothing firms have introduced odour-free garments containing nanosilver particles that are twice as toxic to bacteria as bleach. The motor industry has added carbon nanofibres to car tyres and body panels to strengthen them. Many nanomaterials are so poorly understood that scientists are unable to predict how they will behave, and are unclear even how to check their safety, the report says.

Sir John Lawton, who chairs the commission, said the lack of tests and environmental monitoring for nanoparticles meant it was impossible to know if the materials were already a cause for concern. "Would we know if nanomaterials were causing harm? The answer is, no we wouldn't. We have no evidence that they cause harm, but a lot of that is because of a lack of evidence," he said.

Industry figures estimate at least 600 products are already available globally that contain nanomaterials of some form, but that figure is expected to rise steeply.
more...
We are crazy

[dipsydoodle]

1. I posted this in the Health section a while ago

and it seemed to be ignored. :shrug: I'da thought it was important. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=222x47057

[lovuian]

3. thanks I missed it

Good pickup

[But....]

2. It is important...

but hard for anyone to worry about, so many other things already on that list:scared:

[melody]

4. It'll probably turn out to be something utterly unexpected that does us in

Toxic effects of water or something.

I'll worry about this when there is evidence to worry about.

[Uben]

5. Don't just be afraid, be VERY AFRAID ! !

I'm tellin ya, we, the American people have already been affected greatly by nano-particles. To be more specific, I'm talking about the nano-particle that is Bush's brain. Scientist have confirmed that his brain is so small, that it does, in fact, qualify as a nano-particle! Theory is that his brain once was composed of thousands of nano-particles, but most of them escaped through his nose back in the "cocaine days". While the one remaining particle is capable of controlling bodily function, it lacks the capacity to produce coherent thought patterns and reason.

NOW YOU KNOW!

[xochi]

6. The headline makes light of the potential risks of this technology,

already widespread in commercial applications, and so little understood. This reminds me of Monsanto's greedy applications of all sorts of genetically modified commercial "products," ahead of scientific testing or environmental consequences. This is what happens when special interests have such overwhelming political influence that laws are passed to protect the corporation at the expense of the public. Politicians and the media blithely go along with these greed-based corporate interests, and, like the whole global warming "controversy," allow the findings of company-paid "scientists" to downplay and hide any risks. We end up being the guinea pigs and are often legally prevented from seeing justice served when something bad happens. Just look at the track record of some of these vastly powerful corporate entities, such as big oil, the timber and mining industries, big pharma, etc. Unregulated global corporate capitalism has already nearly destroyed the natural world, with one out of four mammals in extinction crisis, one in three amphibians extinct or threatened with extinction, the planet's biodiversity vanishing....