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Using Expert Elicitation to Prioritize Resource Allocation for Risk Identification for Nanosilver

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2021

Emma Fauss ,
Michael E. Gorman  and
Nathan Swami
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Extract

Many of today’s uses of nanotechnology and nanomaterials can comfortably fall under the current regulatory system with minor adjustments. However, the Woodrow Wilson Center’s Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies has pointed out that the U.S. regulatory system is not prepared to deal with successive generations of nanotechnology and emergent technologies. Nanotechnology presents a challenge. The current regulatory standards and methods are no longer sufficient to help ensure the public’s safety. It is an area of high uncertainty in which environment, health, and safety information is scarce; there is no single index such as concentration to measure toxicity; standards do not yet exist; the ready environmental transport of nanomaterials can increase the chance of exposure; real-time monitoring is not available; and nanomaterials might have systemlevel human and environmental risks. Thus, there is a need for a new and improved oversight system. Within this system there is a need for quickly assessing risks of emergent technologies so that informed policy decisions can be made.

Type
Symposium
Information
Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics , Volume 37 , Issue 4 , Winter 2009 , pp. 770 - 780
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of Law, Medicine and Ethics 2009

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