Nanotechnology Promises Benefits, Poses Questions

By Paul Levitan

Washington - In 2007, more then $60 billion in products incorporating nanotechnology - devices of microscopic size - were sold. According to estimates, the amount may grow to $2.6 trillion by 2014. The rapid growth of nanotechnology underscores important ethical and safety concerns associated with the new industry.

"The country is still trying to figure out what nanotechnology really is," said U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, the keynote speaker at an April 2 event at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington.

The focal point of the gathering was the preview of Nanotechnology - The Power of Small, a three-part TV series airing on U.S. public television in April. The Wilson Center event was part of NanoDays 2008, a week focusing on the advances of nanotechnology and as-yet-unanswered questions concerning its application.

Scientists see nanotechnology - building devices of microscopic or even molecular size - as potentially benefiting medicine, environmental protection, energy and space exploration.

In the future, mechanical "microbes" injected into an organism may be able to combat disease-causing bacteria and viruses, remove cancerous cells or dispense medicines. Microscopic robots may repair, or even assemble, complex devices or remove harmful substances from the environment. (See, "Nanotechnology Seen as Next Frontier of Innovation ( http://www.america.gov/st/innov-english/2008/February/20080220105758zjsredna0.9844629.html ).")

But The Power of Small focuses on the potential ethical and safety concerns of the use of nanotechnology by exploring several hypothetical situations introduced by John Hockenberry, a well-known journalist, television correspondent and author.

In one portion of the series, two sons of an elderly man who lives on his own but has a tendency to get lost consider implanting a nanotechnology-enabled Global Positioning System device in his body, and are forced to face Orwellian questions concerning their father's right to privacy.

Another segment features a mayor of a town having to decide whether to use nanotechnology to clean up a dangerous spill that threatens the town's water supply. Despite obvious benefits, the procedure is new and there are lingering questions about how the nanoparticles used in the cleanup may affect the environment.

An example of an innovative product that proved harmful to humans is asbestos. The mineral-based, fire- and heat-resistant substance came into general use in the early and middle 20th century, especially in construction and manufacturing. Years later, scientists determined that prolonged exposure to asbestos may cause cancer. The continued use of the material was prohibited and expensive asbestos-removal programs instituted.

Participants in the Wilson Center event agreed that thorough testing and public debate are necessary to ensure nanotechnology does not become the "new asbestos."

In Wyden's words, "What is so important about this kind of [television] programming is that it's going to give us a chance to show in the media that, in this field, the government's highest priority is to protect the safety of the public and the consumers."

Power of Small was produced jointly by two U.S. government agencies, the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation, and a group of nongovernmental partner organizations.

More information on the show is available on the Power of Small ( http://powerofsmall.org/ ) Web site.

Source: U.S. Department of State

judythpiazza@newsblaze.com