Abstract
The chapter of Fleischer, Jahnel and Seitz points out that the current concept of toxicological risk assessment in the field of nanotechnology (in particular that referred to manufactured particulate nanomaterials (MPNs)), which is based on conventional expert-based chemical risk assessment procedure, is too narrow. We analyse various proposals, such as the recent ones made by the International Risk Governance Council based on the considerations of societal impacts and needs, which recommends the inclusion of concern assessment in the process (concerns of the general public and the stakeholders). After having discussed the methodological challenges of a broadening of the concept of risk assessment, they discuss the results from the Eurobarometer 2010 as well as from particular public engagement exercises and focus groups. In the paper the authors call for a wider concept, developing further the idea of concern assessment: this approach should allow for a plurality in perspective, actors and different kinds of knowledge adequately considering societal impacts for understanding risk in a broader sense than experts.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Aschberger, K., C. Micheletti, B. Sokull-Klüttgen, and F.M. Christensen. 2011. Analysis of currently available data for characterising the risk of engineered nanomaterials to the environment and human health – Lessons learned from four case studies. Environment International 37(6): 1143–1156.
Berube, D.M., C.L. Cummings, J.H. Frith, A.R. Binder, and R. Oldendick. 2011. Comparing nanoparticle risk perceptions to other known EHS risks. Journal of Nanoparticle Research 13(8): 3089–3099.
Bonazzi, M. 2010. ANNEX – Communicating nanotechnology – Why, to whom, saying what and how? An action-packed roadmap towards a brand new dialogue. European Commission, Unit ‘Nano- and Converging Sciences and Technologies’. http://cordis.europa.eu/nanotechnology/src/publication_events.htm.
British Market Research Bureau (BMRB). 2004. Nanotechnology: Views of the general public. Quantitative and qualitative research carried out as part of the nanotechnology study. BMRB Social Research 2004. London: The Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering Nanotechnology Working Group.
Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung (BfR). 2008. Wahrnehmung der Nanotechnologie in der Bevölkerung. Repräsentativerhebung und morphologisch-psychologische Grundlagenstudie. BfR-Wissenschaft 05/2008. Berlin: BfR.
Burello, E., and A.P. Worth. 2011. QSAR modeling of nanomaterials. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews. Nanomedicine and Nanobiotechnology 3(3): 298–306.
Davies, S.R. 2011. How we talk when we talk about nano: The future in laypeople’s talk. Futures 43(3): 317–326.
Decker, M., and M. Ladikas (eds.). 2004. Bridges between science, society and policy. Technology assessment – Methods and impacts. Dordrecht: Springer.
Engineered Nanoparticles: Review of Health and Environmental Safety (ENRHES). 2010. Project report. http://www.nanowerk.com/nanotechnology/reports/reportpdf/report133.pdf. Accessed 20 Oct 2012.
Environmental Defense, DuPont. 2007. Nano risk framework. http://www.environmentaldefense.org/documents/6496_Nano%20Risk%20Framework.pdf. Accessed 20 Oct 2012.
Eurobarometer. 2010. Eurobarometer wave 73.1. Special Eurobarometer 341. Biotechnology. Bruxelles: European Commission.
Fleischer, T., and C. Quendt. 2007. ‘Unsichtbar und unendlich’. Bürgerperspektiven auf Nanopartikel. Ergebnisse zweier Fokusgruppen-Veranstaltungen in Karlsruhe. Wissenschaftliche Berichte FZKA 7337. Karlsruhe: Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe.
Fleischer, T., J. Jahnel, and S.B. Seitz. 2012a. NanoSafety – Risk governance of manufactured nanoparticles (Final report). Brussels: European Parliament, STOA.
Fleischer, T., J. Haslinger, J. Jahnel, and S.B. Seitz. 2012b. Focus group discussions inform concern assessment and support scientific policy advice for the risk governance of nanomaterials. International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Society 10: 79–95.
Foss Hansen, S., B.H. Larsen, S.I. Olsen, and A. Baun. 2007. Categorisation framework to aid hazard identification of nanomaterials. Nanotoxicology 1(3): 243–250.
Gaskell, G., S. Stares, A. Allansdottir, N. Allum, P. Castro, Y. Esmer, and et al. 2010. Europeans and biotechnology in 2010: Winds of change? A report to the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.
Gavelin, K., R. Wilson, and R. Doubleday. 2007. Democratic technologies? The final report of the Nanotechnology Engagement Group (NEG). Involve: London.
Henry, T.B., F.M. Menn, J.T. Fleming, J. Wilgus, R.N. Compton, and G.S. Sayler. 2007. Attributing effects of aqueous C60 nano-aggregates to tetrahydrofuran decomposition products in larval zebrafish by assessment of gene expression. Environmental Health Perspectives 115(7): 1059–1065.
Hullmann, A. 2008. European activities in the field of ethical, legal and social aspects (ELSA) and governance of nanotechnology. European Commission. ftp://ftp.cordis.europa.eu/pub/nanotechnology/docs/elsa_governance_nano.pdf. Accessed 25 Oct 2012.
International Risk Governance Council (IRGC). 2005. White paper no. 1 on risk governance: Towards an integrative approach. Geneva: International Risk Governance Council.
International Risk Governance Council (IRGC). 2006. White paper no. 2 on nanotechnology risk governance. Geneva: International Risk Governance Council.
Krug, H.F., and P. Wick. 2011. Nanotoxicology: An interdisciplinary challenge. Angewandte Chemie International Edition 50(6): 1260–1278.
Leach, R.K., R. Boyd, T. Burke, H.-U. Danzebrink, K. Dirscherl, T. Dziomba, M. Gee, L. Koenders, V. Morazzani, A. Pidduck, et al. 2011. The European nanometrology landscape. Nanotechnology 22(6): 062001.
Marquis, B.J., S.A. Love, K.L. Braun, and C.L. Haynes. 2009. Analytical methods to assess nanoparticle toxicity. Analyst 134(3): 425–439.
Maynard, A.D., R.J. Aitken, T. Butz, V. Colvin, K. Donaldson, G. Oberdörster, M.A. Philbert, J. Ryan, A. Seaton, and V. Stone. 2006. Safe handling of nanotechnology. Nature 444(7117): 267–269.
Myers, G. 2005. Applied linguistics and institutions of opinion. Applied Linguistics 26(4): 527–544.
Oberdörster, G. 2010a. Safety assessment for nanotechnology and nanomedicine: Concepts of nanotoxicology. Journal of Internal Medicine 267(1): 89–105.
Oberdörster, G. 2010b. Concepts of nanotoxicology. NanoAgri 2010 conference. http://www.nanoagri2010.com/fao_mini_papers_extra_files.pdf. Accessed 20 Oct 2012.
Oberdörster, G., E. Oberdörster, and J. Oberdörster. 2005. Nanotoxicology: An emerging discipline evolving from studies of ultrafine particles. Environmental Health Perspectives 113(7): 823–839.
ObservatoryNano. 2012 Annual report 4 on ethical and societal aspects. In Communicating nanoethics, ed. I. Malsch, A. Grinbaum, V. Bontems, and A.M.F. Anderson. Maerz 2012. Brussels: EU.
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Environment Directorate. 2003. Description of selected key generic terms used in chemical/hazard assessment, OECD series on testing and assessment number 44. ENV/JM/MONO(2003)15. Paris: OECD.
Puzyn, T., B. Rasulev, A. Gajewicz, X. Hu, T.P. Dasari, A. Michalkova, et al. 2011. Using nano-QSAR to predict the cytotoxicity of metal oxide nanoparticles. Nature Nanotechnology 6(3): 175–178.
Renn, O. 2008. White paper on risk governance: Toward an integrative framework. In Global risk governance: Concept and practice using the IRGC framework, ed. O. Renn and K. Walker, 3–73. Dordrecht: Springer.
Renn, O., and A. Grobe. 2010. Risk governance in the field of nanotechnologies: core challenges of an integrative approach. In International handbook on regulating nanotechnologies, ed. G.A. Hodge, D.M. Bowman, and A.D. Maynard, 484–507. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
Renn, O., and K. Walker. 2008. Lessons learned: A re-assessment of the IRGC framework on risk governance. In Global risk governance: Concept and practice using the IRGC framework, ed. O. Renn and K. Walker, 331–360. Dordrecht: Springer.
Risk Commission. 2003. Ad hoc Commission on ‘Revision of risk analysis procedures and structures as well as of standard setting in the field of environmental health in the Federal Republic of Germany’ final report. Berlin: Risk Commission.
Rocks, S., S. Pollard, R. Dorey, L. Levy, P. Harrison, and R. Handy. 2008. Comparison of RA approaches for manufactured nanomaterials. London: Defra.
Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR). 2007. The appropriateness of the risk assessment methodology in accordance with the technical guidance documents for new and existing substances for assessing the risks of nanomaterials. Brussels: European Commission.
Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR). 2009. Risk assessment of products of nanotechnologies. Brussels: European Commission.
Senjen, R., and S.F. Hansen. 2011. Towards a nanorisk appraisal framework. Comptes Rendus Physique 12(7): 637–647.
Tiede, K., A.B. Boxall, S.P. Tear, J. Lewis, H. David, and M. Hassellov. 2008. Detection and characterisation of engineered nanoparticles in food and the environment. Food Additives and Contaminants: Part A, Chemistry, Analysis, Control, Exposure and Risk Assessment 25(7): 795–821.
Xia, T., N. Li, and A.E. Nel. 2009. Potential health impact of nanoparticles. Annual Review of Public Health 30: 137–150.
Xia, X.R., N.A. Monteiro-Riviere, and J.E. Riviere. 2010. An index for characterisation of nanomaterials in biological systems. Nature Nanotechnology 5(9): 671–675.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Fleischer, T., Jahnel, J., Seitz, S.B. (2014). Technology Assessment Beyond Toxicology – The Case of Nanomaterials. In: Arnaldi, S., Ferrari, A., Magaudda, P., Marin, F. (eds) Responsibility in Nanotechnology Development. The International Library of Ethics, Law and Technology, vol 13. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9103-8_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9103-8_5
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-017-9102-1
Online ISBN: 978-94-017-9103-8
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawPhilosophy and Religion (R0)