| Nanotechnology promises significant societal benefits. The technology should be developed in a way that not only identifies and minimizes potential risks to human health and the environment but also helps preserve the potential market for the technology against unwarranted claims of adverse impact. ACC supports and promotes the safe use and manufacture of the products of nanotechnology. |
Contact: Tiffany Harrington
Phone: 703-741-5583
Albeit very small, a 1 millimeter wide sugar granule is visible. But try to envision one sugar molecule, which measures about 1 nanometer across, or one million times smaller. Nanotechnology refers to materials, devices and processes that take place on a scale generally between 0.1 and 100 nanometers. A nanometer is one thousandth of a micrometer, which is equal to one thousandth of a millimeter.
For about 70 years, electron microscopes have enabled scientists to observe nanoscale structures -- a red blood cell’s diameter is approximately 7 micrometers or 7,000 nanometers; a DNA molecule is about 2.5 nanometers wide. Now you can begin to appreciate how extraordinary it is to work with matter on a nanoscale.
Work at the nanoscale level can lead to innovations that allow surgeons to successfully repair a weakened artery, and allow chemists to develop safer, more effective, crop protection treatments or create a pair of pants that change depending on the weather! Ultimately, nanotechnology is considered an enabling technology that is leading to advanced materials, devices, and applications that improve life, health, safety, and the environment. Bigger is not always better!
The ACC's Nanotechnology Panel is composed of companies engaged in the production, distribution, and/or use of chemicals with business interests in the products and applications of nanotechnology. The Panel is actively involved in advocating the use of information and the completion of research on nanomaterials that facilitate understanding and manage the health and environmental issues associated with nanoscale materials.
Additionally, the Panel promotes the responsible development of nanoscale materials in accordance with Responsible Care, supports the use of existing regulatory frameworks for managing nanomaterials and seeks to engage other stakeholders in order to develop and maintain a public awareness and understanding of nanotechnology.
Supporting Documents:
- Statement of the American Chemistry Council at the Hearing on the National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act of 2008
- ACC’s Nanotechnology Panel Testifies Before House Committee on Science & Technology
- Statement of the American Chemistry Council at the Hearing on Research On Environmental and Safety
- ACC Position on Nanotechnology
- Nanotechnology Panel Vision and Mission
- Nanotechnology Panel Goals and Objectives
- The American Chemistry Council Nanotechnology Panel Statement on Rumored Liability-Limiting Legislation
- Nanotechnology Panel Membership and Benefits
- Nanotechnology Panel Publications
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