Report
Note: Workshop Summaries contain the opinion of the presenters, but do NOT reflect the conclusions of the IOM. Learn more about the differences between Workshop Summaries and Consensus Reports.
In recent years, nanotechnology has received considerable attention from both science and industry as new information emerges about its uses and potential societal benefits. The term nanotechnology broadly describes the processes and technologies used to produce materials which are purposely engineered through the manipulation of atoms. The central tenet of nanotechnology is that almost any chemically stable structure that does not violate existing physical law can be built. In the next decade, we will have an onslaught of nanotechnology products that hold great promise for revolutionizing how we manufacture products, communicate with each other, and treat disease. With this new technology come a number of uncertainties.
In the twelfth meeting of the Institute of Medicine's Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences, Research, and Medicine, the Roundtable held a workshop to examine the environmental health issues surrounding the emergence of technology. The workshop summary, titled Implications of Nanotechnology for Environmental Health Research, captures the discussions and presentations by the speakers and participants, who identified the areas in which additional research was needed, the processes by which changes could occur, and the gaps in our knowledge.
Additionally, the workshop summarizes presentations on the benefits and potential negative impacts of nanotechnology, U.S. governmental involvement in ensuring safety, and policy implications of the emerging technology.
Other Reports by this Activity
Displaying: 3 of 15 Reports
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Global Environmental Health: Research Gaps and Barriers for Providing Sustainable Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Services. Workshop Summary
Humans rely on water, but the rapidly growing human population along with heightened urbanization and poor water management has led to a global water crisis. Increasingly limited water resources and severely limited access to safe drinking water worldwide highlights a global imperative to ensure universal and sustainable access to clean water. The Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences, Research, and Medicine held a workshop on October 17-18, 2007, to stimulate efforts in the urgent issue and reversal of poor water quality, management, and policy.
Released: July 16, 2009
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Environmental Health Sciences Decision Making: Risk Management, Evidence, and Ethics. Workshop Summary
Eighty-two thousand chemicals—both natural and man-made—are used today. Some of these chemicals do not produce notable adverse health outcomes, but others can be toxic and harmful to anyone exposed. Currently, we know very little about basic properties of the majority of these chemicals and even less about the human health impact of these exposures. On January 15, 2008, the workshop Environmental Health Sciences Decision Making: Risk Management, Evidence, and Ethics addressed emerging issues in risk management, weight of evidence, and ethics that influence environmental health decision making.
Released: January 8, 2009
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