Categories: Disease and Human HealthScience

CPSC Nanotechnology Team Intranet Site

July 10, 2016

Background

According to the CPSC:

The CPSC is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency’s jurisdiction. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard or can injure vulnerable poulations like children and the elderly. The CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products – such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals – contributed significantly to the 30% decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 40 years.

As more consumer products employ nanotechnology, concerns are increasing regarding potential health effects associated with human exposure to this technology. There is a growing use of compounds or materials that have been produced using nanotechnologies that directly manipulate matter at the atomic level and fabrication of materials that could not have been produced in the past. Although these nanomaterials may have the same chemical composition as non-nanomaterials, at the nanoscale they may demonstrate different physical and chemical properties, and behave differently in the environment and the human body. Members of the U.S. Congress have stated that they recognize nanotechnology as a new technology utilized in the manufacture of consumer products, and that they expect the Commission to review the utilization and safety of its application in consumer products consistent with the Commission’s mission. In support of that mission, CPSC requested additional funding in 2011 to collect data on nanomaterials use in consumer products. Since then, the CPSC budget has grown substantially to support EHS R&D and related projects.

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