Scientists Call for More Nanotechnology Testing

Nanosilver _ which can be used to keep clothes odor-free _ could kill aquatic organisms if released into water supplies, Lawton said. Similarly, carbon nanofibers that are used to strengthen car tires could damage lungs, he added.

Lawton said past generations had used materials like asbestos and leaded gasoline without understanding their impact on human health and the environment.

Scientists say the small size of nanoparticles could pose new hazards.

"Nanoparticles are tiny and can break through most barriers," Fabrizio Cleri, professor of biophysics at the University of Lille in France, said in a telephone interview. "Carbon nanotubes can break into cell membranes and nuclear membranes and can touch the DNA. There are studies on them, but my feeling is the studies are very specific and do not look at all risks."

The debate on nanotechnologies in Britain has been growing stronger over the years.

Prince Charles raised fears about the new technology in 2003 and was mocked for expressing fears about "grey goo."

"The average Joe doesn't yet know that there are nano particles in sunscreen, but at some point, this will become a public debate in the way the whole issue of genetically modified foods did," said Daniel Frankel, a nanoscience researcher at the University of Newcastle in northern England.

http://www.newsmax.com/science/eu_britain_nanotechnology_fears/2008/11/12/150609.html