Regulate Nanotech With Existing Rules

Without knowing the ins and out of existing law and regulation, and how it might be used to regulate nano-tech, I think the average intelligent person, particularly one who has been alive long enough to see the mess governments can make, when operating in haste, would have to say "slowly, slowly, catchy monkee"

By that, I mean, without the haste driven by panic, let's see what can be done within our current legal framework. But by no means does that imply we should just accept that it will be enough, and ignore the consequences for the next 50 years (or whatever it might take to suddenly wake up and realize we are doing more harm than good). Equally, by no means does it imply that we should let the lobbyists, who, no doubt, are already tuning up for the battle, drive the results.

I believe we need to start a concerted and determined effort to discern exactly what regulations and laws we now have which could be applicable, and should be, to the control of nano-tech, and a catalog kept of "things to do" relating to the areas where control or regulation is not sufficiently regulated or governed.

But, shoot, we ought to do that for every new technology. And we don't, and haven't, and even when we DO try to "do the right thing", rogue governments and corporations find ways to circumvent, or outright ignore, our best efforts.

So, no magic bullets, but no lackadaisical attitudes and laid-back approaches, either.

I don't actually know anything about the existing regulations and how they would be applied to nanotech.

But it seems obvious to me that there is a scale of hazard potential directly related to whether the nanoparticles are free or bound in the product in question, and if bound, how permanently bound and the expected breakdown of the product.

Anything involving free nanoparticles is a hazard. It doesn't belong in 'pesticides' that will be sprinkled around nor does it belong in sunscreens or anything applied to the skin or ingested. Composites that easily release free nanoparticles are also a bad idea. And work environments where free nanoparticles are handled should be licensed and regulated to ensure workers are protected from exposure. Nanomedical products are by design intended to penetrate biological systems: they should be very closely regulated and monitored.

A product that incorporates nanoparticles to alter material properties (eg conductivity) is a different matter. How easily does it break down in the intended use environment? Or in a landfill environment, if expected to end up there in quantity. What are the conditions that will cause the composite to decompose and release nanoparticles? The consumer should be advised (eg don't contact with acid or base, etc etc) of the proper use to avoid any hazardous breakdown product of this type. There are numerous products that can be designed with this technology to great benefit and at no significant risk (eg lenses in instruments), once the particles are incorporated into a permanent form.