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Peter Arnfalk

Peter Arnfalk

Senior lecturer

Peter Arnfalk

Nanoparticulate materials and regulatory policy in Europe: An analysis of stakeholder perspectives

Author

  • Aasgeir Helland
  • Hans Kastenholz
  • Åke Thidell
  • Peter Arnfalk
  • Knut Deppert

Summary, in English

The novel properties of nanoparticulate materials (NPM) and the rapid development of NPM based products have raised many unanswered questions and concerns by different stakeholders over its consequences for the environment and human health. These concerns have led to an increasing discussion in both the US and Europe about possible regulatory policies for NPM. In this article a comparative study of stakeholders' perceptions on regulatory policy issues with NPM in Europe is presented. It was found that industry wants to regulate this area if the scientific evidence demonstrates that NPM are harmful, but also that the regulatory bodies do not find it necessary at this point of time to regulate until scientific evidence demonstrates that NPM are harmful. This research therefore shows that there will most likely not be any regulatory interventions until there is an established and convincing scientific knowledge base demonstrating that NPM can be hazardous. It is furthermore discussed in this article the different roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders in financing the research required to establish the necessary level of fundamental scientific evidence. It was also found that the activity of the regulatory bodies on this issue differ between the European countries.

Department/s

  • The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics
  • Solid State Physics

Publishing year

2006

Language

English

Pages

709-719

Publication/Series

Journal of Nanoparticle Research

Volume

8

Issue

5

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Springer

Topic

  • Nano Technology

Keywords

  • implications
  • regulatory policy
  • nanoparticulate materials
  • human health
  • engineered nanomaterials
  • environmental health
  • societal
  • nanotechnology

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1572-896X