Benefit/risk analysis
News
+ Info sheets
Agenda
Benefit/risk analyses of products containing nanos
By the AVICENN team – Last modification in April 2022
The benefit/risk analysis of products containing nanos must cover the whole life cycle of the products and integrate the impacts for all involved… especially the most vulnerable.
It is not only the health and environmental risks associated with nanomaterials that need to be carefully assessed.
The benefits of nanos also need to be seriously examined and evaluated.
For each type of product, the following questions arise:
- What needs are nanomaterials supposed to meet?
- What functions do they perform? Are they essential? Useful or futile? Who benefits (manufacturers / distributors / users)?
- What evidence is there of the benefits described? Are they provided in understandable language? On a sales pitch or on a safety data sheet?
- Do these pieces of information describe noticeable, perceptible and important benefits to you?
- How are decisions made: who decides what, at what point in the innovation life cycle? Which stakeholders are impacted at each stage of the innovation life cycle? Have they been able to express an opinion and is it taken into account?
- Is the use of nanomaterials limited, reserved for a confined professional environment?
- Will the health, environmental and social impacts be significantly altered by a commercial extension to the general public?
- Have the consequences of a generalization of these products integrating nanomaterials / nanotechnologies been simulated?
- Have waste flow simulations been done?
- Do alternatives exist? and are they more or less “effective” than the advertised properties related to “added nanos”?
Elsewhere on the web
In French :
- Ecological transition in research: greener chemistry for a sustainable world, Pierre Lalanne, La Recherche, 28 March 2022
In English:
-
Forget microplastics: we may have a much smaller problem, The Guardian, 25 April 2022
Any questions or comments? This information sheet compiled by AVICENN is intended to be completed and updated. Please feel free to contribute.
Other news on the topic
Our information sheets to go further
Upcoming Nano Agenda
24
Avr.
2025
NAM to study epithelial perturbations in carbon nanomaterial-induced lung inflammation (EUROTOX, Online)
On line
Webinar
- Webinar presenting the example guide produced by NanoMesureFrance, to illustrate the difficulties encountered in dimensional analysis of particles by electron and atomic force microscopy.
- Organizers: Eurotox
- Speaker: Carola Voss (Helmholtz Zentrum München)
- Registration form
28
Avr.
2025
Understanding Nanoscience (Paris Saclay University, Online)
On line
Training
- MOOC from April 28 to June 22, 2025
- Public who has carried out two or more years of scientific studies at university, as well as professionals or the self-educated who want to discover, learn more or acquire specific knowledge in some area of nanoscience.
- Organizer: Paris Saclay University
- Course paln:
- Theme 1: Introduction to nanoscience and nanotechnology – Let’s lay the foundations and discover the key concepts of this field.
- Theme 2: How can you “see” and fabricate nano-objects? We will discover what tools are used to observe matter at these scales and what techniques the scientist can use to make objects that are only a few billionths of a meter in size.
- Theme 3: Nanochemistry – From carbon to porous solids and nanoparticle synthesis; applications of the field.
- Theme 4: Nanophysics – Quantum effects and nanoelectronic devices; optical nanostructures: the confinement of light and emission; nanosensors; applications of the field.
- Theme 5: Nanobiology, Nanomedicine, Micro-nanofluidics – The study and manipulation of molecules; treating diseases with nanomedicine; the on-chip manipulation of liquids for medical diagnosis; applications of the field.
- Theme 6: Nanoscience and Society: Are Nanotechnologies dangerous? Societal, health and environmental issues.
- Website: www.fun-mooc.fr/en/courses/understanding-nanosciences
1
Mai
2025
Controlling the risks associated with nanomaterials (CEA, Online)
On line
Training
- E-learning program: awareness-raising for personnel who come into contact with nanomaterials during research, formulation, production, maintenance, cleaning, upkeep, etc., as well as safety coordinators or engineers, facility managers, heads of laboratories where nanoparticles are handled.
- Organizers: INSTN Grenoble (CEA)
- On the program:
- 1 – Introduction, definition and characteristics of nanomaterials
- 2 – Toxicity of nanomaterials: the state of knowledge
- 3 – Metrology and characterization of nanomaterials
- 4 – Prevention and protection against nanomaterials in the workplace
- 5 – Quiz: assessment of learning outcomes
- The 2-hour course can be viewed for one month from the date of registration.
- Website: https://instn.cea.fr/…risques-lies-aux-nanomateriaux…
File initially put on line in October 2013