Playing it safe: scientists call for more research.(NANOTECHNOLOGY)

The unique properties of nanomaterials make them valuable to chemical companies for new product development and for boosting the performance of existing materials. However, the properties that make nanomaterials appealing could also lead to health and environmental hazards, nanotechnology scientists say. Because of their small size, and high surface area-to-volume ratio, nanosize materials behave differently in the body and in the environment than conventional materials, scientists say. For example, the tiny size of these particles when used in certain formulations for humans has been found to penetrate organs, scientists say.

Nanotechnology represents a broad and versatile field of science that is still evolving. The defining property of nanomaterials is their small size, in the range of 1 nanometer (nm)-100nm. Reducing the size of metals, ceramics, polymers, …