Mehta-nano Delhi
Transcript of Mehta-nano Delhi
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Nanotechnology: Building A
New Economy Atom-By-Atom
Michael D. Mehta, Ph.D.Professor, Department of SociologyChair, Sociology of Biotechnology
ProgramEmail: [email protected]
Website: www.policynut.com
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What Is Nanotechnology (NT)?
• 1 nm=1 billionth of a meter(approximately 10 atoms of hydrogen inwidth).
•Nanotechnology=scale (1-100nm) +functionality.
• Distinction between intentionally designednanostructures (e.g., carbon nanotubes)
and nano-scale objects (e.g., carbon black:a byproduct of hydrocarbon burning ).
• NT is an enabling technology.
• NT is planned disruption.
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A sample of applications expectedto emerge from advances in nanoscience
Environmental Remediate contaminated soil and water. Reduce the use of raw materials through
improvements in manufacturing.Medical Improve the delivery of drugs.
Improve diagnostic procedures.
Electronic Develop molecular circuit boards. Improve storage of data.
Materials Increase the strength of industrially-valuablefibres.
Improve the quality and reliability of metals andplastics.
Manufacture “smart” materials.
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Also: mDNA
Examples Of The PrecisionMolecular Engineering
Already Possible
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Should A Disruptive TechnologyLike NT Evolve
In A Regulatory Vacuum?• NT has introduced whole new classes of materials
that present an array of novel challenges toregulators (J. Miller, 2003).
• There are no NT dedicated regulators/regulationsin the world. Again, innovation is running ahead of
regulation (Mehta, 2002; Hunt and Mehta,forthcoming).• Government and industry should work to identify
and manage possible health and environmentalrisks before new products enter the marketplace
(Balbus et al., 2005).• What are the main risks associated withnanotechnology? (see Hunt and Mehta,forthcoming)• HUMAN HEALTH: lung transport, blood brain
barrier, translocation of nano-materials in cells- Toxicology research is focused on the short-
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Positions on regulating
nanotechnology (S. Miller, 2005)
No new regulations
are needed*
Current regulations
are inadequate
* See Reynolds (2002) on the possible damage from
misguided regulation.
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Industrial fires, nano-terrorism, NT armsrace
Accidents anddeliberate misuses*
Incineration, landfill,emissions from
stacks
Environmentalreleases
Carbon nanotubesManufacturing andlaboratory personnel(OH&S issues)
Cosmetics, medicine,textiles, sportinggoods
Consumer goods(end-users)
ExamplesFields
*It is possible that many of the benefits of NT could be
blocked if export controls are placed on trade to so-called“hostile” or “irresponsible” nations.
Recommended PolicyDomains
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Observations On How Such ARegulatory System Could Work
• A case-by-case approach for conducting riskassessments on new NT products cannot work.
• A classification system could be crafted basedon such things as:
(3) physico-chemico properties (e.g., surface area)
(4) size
(5) uses
(6) explicit life-cycle assessment criteria,
(7) (perhaps) the ecological footprint of differenttechnologies & manufacturing techniques.
• Capacity is needed to anticipate unintended
consequences.
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But Regulation Is More Than AboutScience
• A public debate on the societal implicationsof NT is needed.
• It would be a mistake to underestimatepublic acceptance (Mazzola, 2003; Mehta,
2005).• Example: ETC Group’s call for amoratorium on products of NT and theiranalysis of the policy landscape (2005).
• There is a need to engage stakeholdersupstream since once products reach thestages of regulation andcommercialization, it is usually too late(Daniel Sarewitz in Brainard, 2005).
• Real-time technology assessment (Guston
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Nanotechnology inCanada
• Role of converging technologies & theestablishment (2001) of NINT.
• From a National Research Council of Canadaworkshop held in Banff (2001: p.13): progress inNT requires a clear vision and a strategic policyapproach. This should build on*:
strengths of a nation
complementary understanding of economic andsocial priorities
long-term funding [of S&T]
investment in the next generation of scientists
commercialization of new products.
* But nothing on the value of harnessing a good regulatory system for NT
to enhance innovative capacity or to create commercial advantages.
OR on the need for public consultation.
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Nanotechnology And TheDeveloping World
• Study by Salamanca-Buentello et al. (2005)suggests that NT can be “harnessed to addresssome of the world’s most critical developmentproblems.”
• Delphi study of 63 international experts to choose
and rank the top ten nanotechnologies for thedeveloping world.
• Criteria used:
- impact (on water, agriculture, nutrition, health,
energy, environment)- burden (most pressing needs)
- appropriateness (affordable, robust, socially andculturally acceptable)
- feasibility (realistically deployed in ten years)
- knowledge gap (does the technology advance
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Top Ten List
Sensors andpesticides
Vector & pest detection/control10
SensorsHealth monitoring9
DurabilityConstruction8
Nano-
catalysts
Air pollution & remediation7
Coating/packaging
Food processing & storage6
Nano-capsules
Drug delivery systems5
Lab-on-ChipDisease diagnosis & screening4
Nano-membranes
Water treatment & remediation3
Herbicidedelivery
Agricultural productivityenhancement
2CNT storageof H
Energy storage, production andconversion
1
ExamplesApplicationsRank
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Lessons ForIndia
• What role should/could NT play in nation-building?• How would enhanced cooperation between India
and Canada help achieve these goals?• Need to develop a benchmarking methodology to
assess the state of NT R&D, how to translatenanoscience into NT, and how to build morecapacity.
- This involves identifying sub-fields, bibliometricanalyses of research and collaborations; surveying
all researchers, surveying international experts insub-fields. See Warris (2004) for a benchmarkingapproach used in Australia.
First World Nano-Economic Conference (WNEC), Mumbai, 29 March
But, again NOTHING ON SOCIAL ISSUES ORREGULATION.
When it comes to NT, good science and
good governance are needed.
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Forthcoming June2006 with Earthscan,
UK. To urchase online cl
SynopsisNanotechnology - technology at the molecularlevel - is held out by many as the Holy Grail forcreating a trillion dollar economy and solvingproblems from curing cancer to reprocessingwaste into products and building super-fastcomputers. Yet, as with GMOs, many view
nanotech as a high risk genie in a bottle thatonce uncorked has the potential to causeunpredictable, perhaps irreversible,
environmental and public health disasters.With the race to bring products to market,there is pressing need to take stock of thesituation and to have a full public debate
about this new technological frontier. Including
contributions by renowned figures such asRoland Clift, K. Eric Drexler and Arpad Pusztai,this is the first global overview of the state of
nanotech and society in Europe, the USA, Japan and Canada, examining the ethics, theenvironmental and public health risks, and the
governance and regulation of this most
promising, and potentially most dangerous, of all technologies.
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References
Balbus, J., Denison, R., Florini, K. and S. Walsh (2005) “Getting nanotechnology
right the first time.” Issues in Science and Technology , Summer, 65-71.Brainard, J. (2005) “A more social science. Daniel Sarewitz wants researchers to
serve society better by looking for beneficial results.” The Chronicle of Higher Education, 18 November, online athttp://chronicle.com/weekly/v52/i13/13a02201.htm orhttp://www.cspo.org/home/newatcspo/sareqitz_chronicle.htm
ETC Group (2005) NanoGeoPolitics: ETC Group Surveys the Political Landscape.Ottawa, Canada, online at http://www.etcgroup.org/article.asp?newsid=520
Guston, D.H. and D. Sarewitz (2002) “Real-time technology assessment.”Technology and Culture, 24:93-109.
Hunt, G. and M.D. Mehta (eds.) (forthcoming). Nanotechnology: Risk, Ethics and Law. London, UK: Earthscan.
Mazolla, L. (2003) “Commercializing nanotechnology.” Nature Biotechnology ,21(1): 1137-1143.
Mehta, M.D. (2005) "Regulating biotechnology and nanotechnology in Canada: Apost-normal science approach for inclusion of the fourth helix " International
Journal of Contemporary Sociology . 42(1): 107-120.
Mehta, M.D. (2004) "From biotechnology to nanotechnology: What can we learnfrom earlier technologies?" Bulletin of Science, Technology and Society .24(1): 34-39.
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References (continued)
Miller, S. (2005) “Regulating nanotechnology: The FDA and the EPA are likely
watchdogs.” New York Law Journal, 5 April, 233(64): 1-5.Miller, J. (2003) “Beyond biotechnology: FDA regulation of nanomedicine.”
Science and Technology Law Review, 4: 1-35, online athttp://www.stlr.org/html/volume4/millerintro.html
National Research Council of Canada (2001) Proceedings of the NRCNanoscience and Nanotechnology Workshop, Banff, Alberta, 10-12 January.
Reynolds, G.H. (2002) Forward to the Future. Pacific Research Institute, San
Francisco, CA, online athttp://www.pacificresearch.org/pub/sab/techno/forward_to_nanotech.pdf
Salamanca-Buentello, F., Persad, D.L., Court, E.B., Martin, D.K., Daar, A.S., andP.A. Singer (2005) “Nanotechnology and the developing world.” PLoSMedicine, 2(4): 300-303.
Warris, C. (2004) Nanotechnology Benchmarking Project . Australian Academyof Sciences, February, online athttp://www.science.org.au/policy/nanotech.htm