UK Royal Commission on nano

There is no evidence of environmental or health risks from nanomaterials, and thus no need for a ban or moratorium against nanotechnology, the U.K.'s Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution says in a report published Nov. 12. However, the independent advisory panel calls for more testing on the functionality of nanoparticles, the immediate establishment of a research program and more flexibility in government to address nanotechnology and other nascent fields. Sir John Lawton, commission chair, calls for extending the coverage of the EU's REACH chemical regulation to nanomaterials, as "the rate of innovation in this sector far outstrips our capacity to respond to the risks." The European Commission has advised EU members to refrain from research on nanoparticles in food and personal care items until more risk assessments are completed (1"The Rose Sheet" Feb. 18, 2008, p. 6)