Nanotechnology-based consumer products on the rise
Nanoscale materials are now found in a wide range of consumer merchandise.
More than 200 consumer products—ranging from cosmetics, to laptop computers, to stain-resistant clothing—now contain nanoscale materials, according to the first publicly available inventory.
Compiled by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the analysis found that most of the items were targeted at health and fitness consumers—products such as antiaging creams and sunscreens. Other items found to contain nanoparticles were computers and electronics, home and garden wares, food and beverages, and automotive appliances.
Companies based in the U.S. manufacture the most nanotechnology-based products, with a total of 126, followed by companies in Asia (42) and Europe (35).
After the inventory’s May release in the U.K., scientists affiliated with the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering called on industry to publicly reveal the methods it uses to test the safety of consumer goods containing free nanoparticles, which may be inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through the skin.
