Nanoparticles – are they safe?
June 22, 2009 by Jo · 1 Comment
Nanoparticles and their safety has been a hot topic of conversation since the question of their safety was raised. Nanoparticles were marketed by skin care and cosmetic companies as being the latest and greatest development in skin care as the particles were smaller than conventional size particles and therefore able to penetrate the skin. By penetrating the skin the nanoparticles could supposedly then have a greater effect on improving the skin.
Now their very ablity to do so has made their safety questionable.
The Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue (TACD) that is a forum of the EU and United States consumer organisations, has called for the two countries to work together to establish sound guidelines to both assess and protect the consumer form any risks that are not found in using products with conventional size particles.
They also want to testing methods, technologies and mandatory reporting schemes to adequately assess and keep track of those products containing nanoparticles. Clear labelling would also be required so the customer has full knowledge that the product they are buying contains nanoparticles.
Companies that make marketing claims about products containing nano particles should also be held to account and these both be verifiable and substaniated by an independant source.
The TACD also was aware of the effect of the economic effects on companies that have nanoparticles in their products and that this should be further investigated.
It seems it would be prudent to avoid skin care and cosmetics with nanoparticles until the evidence of their safety has clearly established.