A graphic with a March 10 article on nanotechnology incorrectly described two meters as equaling 5 feet 9 inches. The correct measurement is about 6 feet 7 inches.
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For Now, Consumer Nanotech Concentrates on the Little Things
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Many products in the inventory ( http:/
Skis that have silicon oxide nanoparticles injected into microscopic voids are said to have greater flex and stability. Nanocapsules in a pain-relief cream supposedly get absorbed through the skin with less irritation. A golf ball with a nanoparticle core promises better response.
Reflecting marketers' natural attraction to already profitable sectors, many nanomanufacturers have focused on cosmetics. The Food and Drug Administration is sponsoring research to see if such products pose any health risks.
At least eight products in the inventory are meant to be eaten, including an Israeli brand of canola oil that contains "nano-sized self-assembled liquids" that are said to reduce cholesterol absorption; about a dozen kinds of nutritional supplements that make various claims of nano-related superiority; and "Choco'la" chocolate chewing gum containing unspecified "nanoscale crystals."
The precise nature of these and other nano-ingredients is unclear from their labels.
The inventory does not include products used in non-consumer applications, including hundreds in use in medical diagnostics and in chemical manufacturing processes.
Preliminary experiments have indicated that some nanomaterials can be toxic, while others have the potential to neutralize poisons and help clean up the environment. Regulatory agencies considering how to classify and handle the new materials have been hampered by companies' general reluctance to reveal details about their products.
The growing variety of nano-based consumer products "is what you'd hope for after a billion-dollar investment in this country," said Vicki Colvin, director of the Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology at Rice University in Houston. But with regulators still not sure what to make of the new science, Colvin said, "these companies have a great responsibility right now to do the safety testing and, to the extent possible, make those findings public."
