The Promise and Peril of Nanotechnology

March 28, 2014

(Phys.org) – But do we know enough about this new technology to understand what the potential unintended impacts on human health and the environment could be? As nanomaterials become more widespread, the public and those who work with them will be increasingly exposed to them. Since 2001, the federal government has invested almost $20 billion in nanotechnology research through the National Nanotechnology Initiative, but only $750 million on studying the environmental and health impacts and safety of nanotechnology.