Nanotechnology in Manufacturing: Is It Toxic?

Is the use of nanotechnology in manufacturing and poisoning workers? A recent report in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine discusses the case of a 26-year-old American factory worker who developed symptoms of throat irritation, nasal congestion and skin rash from exposure to nanoparticles used in the making of ink fluids. It's the first published case in North America of serious health effects arising from the use of materials that are one thousand times smaller than a human hair. Our guest on this episode, Dr. Shane Journeay, chief executive officer and president of Nanotechnology Toxicology Consulting Training, is a co-author of that report. He joins us to talk about its widespread implications for worker health and safety. More than 1,600 consumer products on the market today already incorporate nanoparticles, and total sales of nanotechnology are expected to reach $48.9b by 2017. Yet little is known about the long-term health effects of those materials, and regulators are still playing catch-up. Should manufacturers implement expensive precautionary measures now, or should they wait for more data?