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FDA Asked to Regulate Nanotechnology

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the fda-begins-regulating-ipods dept.

WillAffleckUW writes "According to the Washington Post, a coalition of environmental and consumer groups has asked the FDA to look at regulating nanotechnology. They point out that there are more than 100 nanotechnology products and that nanoparticles can penetrate cells and tissues, migrate through the body and brain and cause biochemical damage."

2 of 248 comments (clear)

  1. How to kill nanotech in its infancy... by kcbrown · · Score: 5, Interesting
    If you want to kill off an industry, the best way to do so is to regulate it the way the medical industry and the aviation industry are regulated.

    In both cases, the industry in question is regulated not at the results level but at the process level. To change the way an airplane is manufactured, you have to get your manufacturing process recertified by the FAA. It's a great way to prevent technological progress. To put this into perspective, modern piston airplanes are still using mechanical fuel injection. We're talking technology that was first put into use in the 1950s.

    As a result, it takes the financial commitment of basically building an entirely new company in order to manufacture composite airplanes (as opposed to using aluminum sheetmetal and rivets). Manufacturers aren't allowed to truly compete with each other by continuously improving their products in meaningful ways because the cost of improving the product is too high. Everything has to be recertified when a real improvement is made.

    And the same is true for medical equipment, which is one of the big reasons your out of pocket expense for a simple MRI session is several thousand dollars.

    So if we want to make sure that the U.S. is dead last in nanotech, the best way to do it is to regulate it the way we regulate medical equipment and aviation.

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  2. Re:Oh Gawds... by Ohreally_factor · · Score: 4, Interesting

    As far as the Gray Goo threat goes, I don't think it's the immediate concern here.

    Quite frankly, given the irresponsible extreme anti-regulation attitudes expressed by many here, I think I am in favor of a specific regulatory agency, such as we have for nuclear power.

    There are too many technologists (or people who think they are) that are all too willing to play fast and loose, without an understanding, let alone a regard, for the consequences of their actions. Too many companies that would put short term profit ahead of the general public's welfare.

    Regulation of nanotechnology is a no-brainer.

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