Nanoforum

Benefits, Risks, Ethical, Legal and Social Aspects of Nanotechnology

Type of publication: Report, Nanoforum publication

Abstract: In this report, the Nanoforum consortium presents the present state of the art of the public and scientific debate on benefits, risks, and ethical, legal and social implications of nanotechnology in Europe and other parts of the world. It also gives an overview of relevant research groups, funding programmes, projects and networks in Europe. Finally it reviews position papers of NGO’s, industrial associations and political parties, which are already participating in the emerging political debate on nanotechnology, as well as debates initiated by governments, the European Commission and parliaments, and gives access to media coverage of nanotechnology. This report has first been published end of June 2004 on www.nanoforum.org. The first update has been published in October 2005, and an article on nanoethics in 2025 by Louis Laurent has been added in July 2006.

Summary: This report is intended for non-experts in risk analysis and in technology assessment, or ethical, legal and social aspects of nanotechnology, to get a quick insight in what these areas of research have to say about nanotechnology. It also includes an overview of the emerging political and public debate on nanotechnology in Europe. The Nanoforum consortium hopes this will be interesting to the following user groups: 1) Nanotechnology researchers interested in international collaborations with experts in risk analysis and the ethical, legal and social aspects of nanotechnology; 2) Experts in risk analysis and technology assessment interested in issues related to nanotechnology; 3) Politicians, NGO’s and lay persons interested in what nanotechnology may mean for society. This report includes parts on potential risks and benefits of nanotechnology; on public perception; on ethical and political aspects; and on the current status of the debate on legislation for nanotechnology. It also includes a list of European research organisations active in risk research specific for nanomaterials, and in ethical, legal and social aspects of nanotechnology. A continuously updated list of these organisations can also be found in the online database of institutions accessible at www.nanoforum.org.

More information: http://www.nanoforum.org

Downloads:

• ELSIPart 2.pdf (434767 Byte)

  Part 2: Benefits

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• ELSIPart4.pdf (493173 Byte)

  Part 4: Public perception

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• ELSIPart 5.pdf (105029 Byte)

  Part 5: Ethics

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• ELSIPart 6Dupuy.pdf (187395 Byte)

  Part 6.1. J-P Dupuy

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• ELSIPart 6Grunwald.pdf (210217 Byte)

  Part 6.2. A. Grunwald

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• ELSIPart 6Speller.pdf (40976 Byte)

  Part 6.4. S. Speller

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• ELSIPart 7.pdf (523586 Byte)

  Part 7: regulation

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• ELSIPart 8.pdf (223660 Byte)

  Part 8: who is who

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• ELSIPart 6Parr.pdf (114382 Byte)

  Part 6.3. D. Parr (preprint from article in Trends in Biotechnology Vol23 no 8 August 2005 pp 395-398 Copyright 2005 with permission from Elsevier http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/01677799

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• ELSIPart 3.pdf (764873 Byte)

  Part 3: Risks

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• ELSIPart 1.pdf (340350 Byte)

  Cover, Authors, Table of Contents, Abstract, Executive Summary

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• Laurent22.pdf (105512 Byte)

  Part 6.5. Louis Laurent (Article published in the Journal "Le Banquet", Vol. 22, p. 145, www.revue-lebanquet.com. Republished with permission.

  downloaded 296 times since 25 July 2006

Last changed: 25 July 2006

Comment on this nanoforum publication

Kitso, 08 November 2009

helped me a lot.

Matthias Meyer, 17 August 2007

it was very helpful thank you!

Ali Zarrabi, 19 May 2007

I would like to send you my great pleasure for the conveniences in your web page.

Trung le tien, 04 February 2007

It is good resource!

Juliana Peyravy, 15 June 2006

Wonderful, wonderful resource!

Alfonso Lombana, 18 February 2006

Es un documento de gran valor para quienes
estamos difundiendo la nanotecnología y la
nanociencia .

Felicitaciones para los que elaboran estas
ayudas y para el nanoforum.

Cordialmente,
Alfonso Lombana R.
X-4517014-K

Liu Li, 02 December 2005

I appreciate the report. The issues should also been studied in context of China.