Nano What?: Yes, Nanoparticles Were Probably in Your Breakfast This Morning

Automotive

Paints and coatings use nanotechnology to create surfaces that repel water and last longer. Auto manufacturers use it on tires to extend wear, to protect interior surfaces and to identify engine malfunctions. Many chemical companies have been using the technology for years, but do not identify it on their labeling.

Sporting Goods

Nanotubes are extremely strong and can be found in all types of sports equipment. Imperfections in a golf club impact the speed and distance of a drive. Manufacturers are using nanotubes to strengthen clubs and provide a uniform structure for more consistent drives. Similar technology is also being used in tennis rackets to make lighter and stronger rackets.

Clothing

Silver nanoparticles are now being added to socks to kill of bacteria and mitigate odor. It works wonders for the odors, but what happens when the socks are washed and the nanoparticles go into the water traveling into fields and streams? What impact will those particles have on wildlife and anything else with which they come into contact? And what kind of liability does this create for insurers for the products made by thousands of companies?

"The field of nanotechnology is too broad a topic to identify the various nanoparticles and their dangers," explains Shane Journeay, Ph.D., M.D., chief executive officer of Nanotechnology Toxiology Consulting and Training. "There are thousands of types of nanomaterials being produced in North America today."

Make-up

Journeay says that first generation nanoparticles change their size and composition. So a substance like nickel powder that has been around for years and considered safe, changes its composition and concentration in nanoparticles and a smaller amount is needed to create an adverse reaction. Not enough information exists on these nanoparticles to indicate if there are elevated risks when they are incorporated into products such as make-up or food.

But are these products safe?

Consumers purchase products every day and are unaware that they contain nanoparticles. Workers in manufacturing plants may not be advised that they are working with nanoparticles and should be wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) to keep from inhaling the particles. Current exposure information only identifies two types of nano materials as dangerous, but there are literally hundreds of particles in use.

Dr. Journeay recently documented the first incidence of an individual impacted by nano particles in the workplace. A female chemist formulated polymers and coatings using silver ink particles. Eventually she began working with nickel nanoparticle powder without any PPE and developed throat irritation and nasal congestion, as well as skin reactions to her earrings and belt buckle. She was diagnosed with a nickel sensitivity due to working with the nanoparticles and was unable to even work in other parts of the building because of her sensitivity.

Troubling trends

NIOSH reported on a case in Beijing, China, where seven previously healthy young women developed serious heart and lung disease after working in a printing plant where they were exposed to a chemical paste comprising a mixture of undefined nanoparticles.

Journeay says that from an insurance perspective nanotechnology would seem to be a safe industry because there have been very few recorded problems. The worker mentioned previously is the first documented case in the U.S. However, there are many who believe that nanotechnology could provide liabilities similar to asbestos in products because they are so pervasive in everyday life.

Oversight is not keeping pace 

Since nanotechnology is not regulated and manufacturers do not have to report their use, it is difficult to identify any health effects or tie them back to specific quantities of nanoparticles. Government regulators have not identified toxicity levels and companies using the technology will not document or study ill effects unless directed to do so by a governing authority, so little information is available.

Another question is where does the liability start and end? Journeay cited a situation where workers in a recycling plant refused to handle waste materials because they knew it contained nanomaterials. "There is all sorts of potential liability here," added Journeay. "The newest will be have we adequately protected our workers?"  Other considerations include nanomaterials that go down drains into sewer systems and watershed areas, spillage in manufacturing or transportation, the unknown dangers of inhaling the particles, and product liability from its use in items such as sunscreen.

Many question marks remain for the industry

"Insurers will really need to look at the life cycle of nanoparticles. If someone wants to be insured for a nano-based product or particles, what are they being insured for? Spills? Worker exposure? Materials and how they are used? Insurers will have to identify where the liability will rest," explained Journeay. "There are gaps in how companies are managing their risk."

Within the insurance industry, Journeay says insurers need to be aware that their clients are using nanotechnology and that it is in every single area they are insuring, whether they realize it or not.