EPA and CPSC Examine Nanomaterial Health Risks

The EPA and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission are collaborating in a worldwide research effort to assess any potential impacts of nanomaterials on people’s health and the environment.

Nanomaterials appear in many household products ranging from clothing to building materials. For example, one ongoing study evaluates the potential human and environmental effects from exposure to copper nanomaterials, an ingredient in treatment products used on wood for decks and fences.

The emerging field of nanotechnology has led to what the bodies describe as “substantial advances in energy, medicine, electronics, and clean technologies.”