Consumers are still wary of nanotechnology

Passing the smell test

14 January 2008 00:00  [Source: ICB]

Nanotechnology makes its way to consumers, who still aren't sure just what to make of it

Ed Zwirn/New York

BOB EHRMAN says his socks don't smell. As one of the directors of Pennsylvania State University's Center for Nanotech-nology Education and Utilization, Ehrman should be excused for his indelicacy - he's only describing one of the many ways nanotechnology is working its way into everyday products.

That's right: these socks have been impregnated with nanoscale silver particles. The unique antimicrobial properties of nanoscale silver have already been commercialized in wound dressings to prevent infection and speed healing - fresh-smelling socks, if not the obvious next step, are a natural extension. They might seem rather mundane by comparison, but enduring freshness is a real benefit valued by consumers, with significant market potential.

The socks, offered by retailers including AgActive and Sharper Image, are being used by the military which, Ehrman notes, is always looking for ways to reduce the number of items soldiers need to pack. Hunters who want to mask their human scent have also taken to them. "Wear them all day and your socks won't smell," he says.

These, and a range of other nanotechnologies, are beginning to penetrate the consumer market, although consumers themselves seem to be largely unaware of it.

At the Center for Nanotechnology Education and Utilization, which has given both lab and classroom experience to some 450 students since its inception in 1998, Ehrman has watched the stream of consumer products dependent on nanotechnology steadily grow.

A quick review suggests the near ubiquity of a technology that seemed mere sci-fi grist just a few years ago, and which remains an object of fear to some.

A wide variety of other fabrics is already being treated with the silver particles - not only in the clothing realm, where Germany's Jack Wolfskin offers a jacket combining the antibacterial properties of silver socks with a nano waterproofing membrane - but also in home products like bedding, where AgActive offers silver-impregnated, odor-resistant cotton sheets. Hydrophobic fabrics that allow the careless consumer to pour water or spill wine on them without ill effect, are also in the market, or under development. And foodware, such as antibacterial packaging, is in the pipeline.

Of course, from iPods to flat panel televisions, "almost every electronic device you come up with has nanoscale features such as nano transistors," Ehrman points out.

GETTING PERSONAL

Nanotechnology is also a growing contributor to personal care and cosmetic products.

For sunshine and happiness may go hand-in-hand, but sunburn's side effects - premature wrinkling and skin cancer - are growing concerns, as Wolfgang Goertz, Evonik Goldschmidt's marketing manager for personal care, notes.

"Since the 1970s, Evonik's work in this field has focused on nanostructured UV filters, which have proven both safe and effective," Goertz says.

These sunscreen filters, introduced by Evonik predecessor Degussa in the 1990s, employ microfine titanium dioxide (TiO2) obtained by a "flame process." The particle structure of the resultant agglomerate crystals are sized in the range of 100-200nm and "do not simply absorb light, but reflect it in all directions," making it easy to obtain high sun protection factors (SPFs) and protect against UVB rays, Goertz explains.

Consumers have shown no reluctance to use sun-care products including these nano particles, he adds.

"Titanium dioxide meets all the requirements set for cosmetic applications [and] a large number of in-house tests and independent studies have shown that these products do not pose any risk to consumers or production workers," he says. "Both the [EU's] Nanoderm project and Evonik's own investigations have shown that titanium dioxide cannot penetrate healthy skin."

PLASTIC IN THE PIPELINE

Anybody who has seen the hue of their auto dashboard or lawn furniture fade, crack or otherwise degrade with time in the sun may become a fan of the first nano product to emerge from the pipeline at DuPont: Light Stabilizer 210. Unveiled in October, this TiO2 product is expected to first impact the packaging sector. DuPont hopes Light Stabilizer 210 will eventually capture some or all of the $900m (€611m) global market for light stabilizers used in plastics, according to Gary Whiting, global venture manager for the new product.

The nanoparticles absorb the ultraviolet light that discolors plastic products, converting it into heat, which dissipates quickly without damaging the structure of plastic. The extremely small particle size provides much more surface area for UV absorption, according to DuPont.

Potential applications include sporting goods, outdoor furniture, fabrics and carpet fibers. It can also be used in plastic films and sheeting to protect plants in greenhouses or packaged goods from UV light. In testing, it blocked twice as much UV light as several classes of competitive products, according to DuPont.

While the initial reception for this product has been "very favorable," most potential customers require at least six months to a year to test and develop a product such as Light Stabilizer 210, with food packaging projects taking even longer because of the requirement for FDA approval, so the verdict is still out, Whiting says. "We hope that we've done our homework," he adds.

REASSURING THE PUBLIC

Part of this "homework," say Whiting and others bringing nanotechnology to the consumer market, is the research needed to assuage popular fears and demonstrate both consumer and environmental safety.

With the public apparently undecided on nanotechnology, according to a recent US public opinion poll, advocates and would-be commercializers are doing their best to ward off any rise in the fear factor.

Only 6% of Americans say they have "heard a lot" about nanotechnology, in an August 2007 poll conducted by independent research firm Peter D. Hart Research. By contrast, a whopping 71% of respondents said they have heard "just a little" or "nothing at all." Not surprisingly, given the low level of awareness, half (51%) of respondents said they were unwilling to make any judgment about the anticipated risks and benefits of nanotechnology.

Another quarter went out on a limb to declare that risks and benefits were about equal. Of the remainder, 18% said benefits outweighed risks, and 6% thought risks outweighed benefits.

Wariness was apparently strongest when it came to food, with only 7% saying they would purchase food enhanced with nanotechnology. Slightly more (12%) said they would use food storage containers enhanced with nanotechnology, and substantial majorities said they needed more information about health risks and benefits before being able to answer either question.

"With any new technology, there's some degree of curiosity," says DuPont's Whiting. For this reason, DuPont has teamed up with Environmental Defense, a US nonprofit organization, to come up with a program - the Nano Risk Framework - for putting new nanotech products through rigorous risk-assessment hurdles.

While there have been no major direct harmful consequences identified either to the manufacturer or user of these technologies, there have been some studies suggesting that carbon nanobars may pose risks further down the waste stream, according to Ehrman.

DuPont, in following the Framework, says it has chosen not to pursue use of nano zero-valent iron, which had been under exploration for use in groundwater remediation, until these types of questions could be addressed.

"Nanotechnology has the potential to unleash innovations in materials, energy and other fields that could lead to powerful environmental and health benefits," says Gwen Ruta, director of corporate partnerships at Environmental Defense. "Our intent is to help reap the full promise of this technology without unintended consequences. We want to get this right the first time around."

For more on the Nano Risk Framework, go to www.nanoriskframework.com

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