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Products containing engineered nanoparticles are
being sold now

• Nanoparticles are in hundreds of products on the
  market now personal care, textiles, coatings
  etc.
• Growing evidence shows that nanomaterials can be
  toxic to humans
• Products are sold without labels informing
  consumers of the presence of these untested or
  only partially tested ingredients
• They have not been proven safe for consumers,
  workers or the environment

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Recommendations of the UKs Royal Society

• Ingredients in the form of nanoparticles should
  undergo a full safety assessment by the relevant
  scientific advisory body before they are
  permitted for use in products
• Factories and research laboratories should treat
  nanomaterials as if they were hazardous
• Their release into the environment should be
  avoided as far as possible

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Nano products are already on the market
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Areas in which nano products are on the market
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Areas in which nano products are on the market
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Consumers are not very concerned, so far

• Eurobarometer 224
• Which science and technology developments are you
  most interested in? (multiple answers possible)

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Small Ingredients, Big Risks The example of
sunscreens and cosmetics

• At least 116 cosmetics, sunscreens, and personal
  care products contain nanomaterials, despite
  complete absence of independent safety assessment
  and regulation
• The survey represents only a small sample of the
  cosmetics and personal care products containing
  engineered nanoparticles

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Is there a cause for concern?

• The intimate use of cosmetics and personal care
  products poses a risk of exposure because the
  products are used daily and directly on the skin.
  They may be inhaled and are often ingested.
• Nanoparticles have a greater risk of toxicity,
  are more readily taken up by the human body and
  are able to cross biological membranes (e.g.
  brain barrier, placenta) and access cells,
  tissues and organs

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Nanoparticles can be potentially beneficial for
the environment

• Less ressources needed, due to more energy
  efficient and lighter materials
• Less environmentally harmful by-products
  (emissions of carbon dioxide or other harmful
  substances
• New cleaning methods for toxins in soil and water
  
• More efficiency in power production

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...but they can also harm human health and the
environment

• Nanoparticles of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide
  have been shown to be photoactive, producing free
  radicals and causing DNA damage to skin cells
  when exposed to UV light.
• Seven face creams listed in the report contain
  carbon spheres called fullerenes, which have
  been found to cause brain damage in fish. Two of
  those creams (Zelens and Dr Brandt) are currently
  sold on the EU market.

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Nanoparticles may enter and move freely inside
human body

• While the jury is still out on whether
  nanomaterials can enter intact skin, studies show
  that broken skin is an ineffective barrier the
  presence of acne, eczema, shaving wounds or
  sunburn enables the uptake of nanoparticles
• Many cosmetics and personal care products contain
  ingredients that act as penetration enhancers,
  which may even increase skin uptake and entry
  into the blood stream.

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More information is needed

• Cosmetics companies need to be more transparent
  about their safety testing
• We dont know how much safety research the
  sunscreen and cosmetics manufacturers have
  conducted before placing the products on the
  market.
• Studies need to be peer-reviewed and publicly
  accessible
• We need a regulatory oversight to ensure safety
  testing is independent and comprehensive

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FoEs Recommendations

• Nanomaterials and products must be subject to
  health and environmental impact assessment, prior
  to commercial production and/or environmental
  release
• Nanoparticles must be assessed as new substances
• Consumers have the right to know about
  nanoparticles in products they buy
• We need a moratorium on the release of new
  products and the withdrawal of all existing
  products where nanoparticles get in direct
  contact with the consumers
• Precautionary principle should be the basis for
  dealing with nanoparticles