Die Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution veröffentlicht Report über Nanomaterialien in der Umwelt
Am 12. November 2008 hat die RCEP ihren neusten Bericht zum Thema Neuer Materialien in der Umwelt veröffentlicht. Der Bericht wurde durch Bedenken ausgelöst, welche die mögliche Freisetzung von neuartigen industriellen Anwendungen wie Metallen und Mineralien betreffen. Der Report untersucht aber auch Aspekte der Innovation im Materialsektor und den Chancen und Herausforderungen durch die Einführung neuer Materialien (spezielle Nanomaterialien). Der Bericht gibt Empfehlungen ab, wie mit dem fehlenden Wissen und der Unsicherheit umgegangen werden kann. Artikel auf Englisch.
The new study began in late 2006 with a scoping phase, and as part of that phase the Commission is sought to identify the issues and areas it would be most appropriate for the new study to investigate. A seminar took place on 11 January 2007 to identify concerns and issues that the study might explore. The Commission then invited the submission of detailed evidence on specific issues that the study would cover.
Background to the New Study
Novel materials, along with new forms and applications of existing chemicals are continually being developed to help make technological advances and improve performance, mainly in the fields of engineering and IT, but also in many other fields. An example of such a development is rhenium, which has previously been just a waste product from copper mining. It is now used in nickel alloys for jet engines, enabling them to fly at temperatures at about fifty degrees centigrade higher than previously, so lowering fuel consumption.
Nanotechnology and nanoscience are also developing at a rapid pace. Current uses include sunscreens based around microfine particles, car bumpers made from nanocomposites and coatings made from titanium dioxide nanoparticles to produce self cleaning windows.
Lately, governments have started to look into this issue, developing policies and funding research. The majority of work carried out in this field has been on nanoscience and technology. The Royal Society in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Engineering published a policy document called "Nanoscience and Nanotechnologies: opportunities and uncertainties" in July 2004. The report was wide-ranging and included a section on the environmental effects of nanoscience and technology. The UK government published its response to that report in February 2005, and agreed that further research on environmental effects would need to be carried out.
The Office of Science and Technology has set up the inter-governmental Nanotechnology Issues Dialogue Group (NIDG) which will co-ordinate Government activities in this field, and provide evidence to inform the Council for Science and Technology's two and five year reviews of Government's progress on this issue.
Defra is also looking at the environmental effects of these new technologies, using the Royal Society's report as a basis. The Advisory Committee on Hazardous Chemicals has received a number of presentations on the subject. The European Commission also published a 4 year action plan on nanotechnology in June 2005.
The environmental impacts of other new materials, such as rare earth metals in electronic components, in use or in development appear to be less well-studied.
The study will be addressing UK policies and programmes and will make recommendations to the UK government, but the Commission will also look at work being carried out at the EU and global level.
The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution is an independent standing body established in 1970 to advise the Queen, the Government, Parliament and the public on environmental issues. About the RCEP outlines the Commission's history, how it interprets 'pollution', how it selects topics for study and how its work is conducted. The Chair is Sir John Lawton, previously chief executive of NERC, who assumed the chair of the RCEP on 1 April, 2005. In addition, a number of Commission Members have been re-appointed for a further term and several new members have been appointed to the Commission.
Source: Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution