Risk assessment in practice

NanoCare: the NanoCare project will be sponsored by the Federal Ministry of research until 2009 with €5 million, and industry partners are contributing a further €2.6 million.

The aim is to raise awareness, prepare scientific data and to make the results accessible both to the experts and the public. In the NanoCare project, measuring procedures for nano particles and their aggregates and/or agglomerates as well as finely dispersed droplets (aerosols) will be improved or redeveloped. These methods should be directly applicable in operation. A further theme is the definition of natural background strains to the air with nano particles and the definition of limit values for particle quantities in the work place.

In their lab experiments the NanoCare researchers introduce standardised nano particles as test substances into cell cultures or biological simulators. This should supply more exact results, about which ways nano particles can enter the organism, how they are dispersed there, which biological effects they have and whether and/or after how long they are eliminated.

In addition to the research, information and dialogue are also part of the NanoCare project: The research results will be openly presented and discussed at events. Furthermore the data will be prepared in a structured and understandable way for publishing on the internet: www.nanopartikel.info

INOS: This abbreviation stands for "identificantion and evaluation of health and environmental effects of technical nanoscale particles“. The project will be sponsored until 2009 with FMTR funds to the tune of €1.1 million.

It aims to test a very wide spectrum of nano objects, beginning with ceramic and metallic nano particles to carbon nano pipes right up to nano soot. The INOS scientists are investigating the effects and changes of the nano particles in the nourishing fluid of laboratory cultures and the human or animal cells contained in it. Factors such as cell vitality, stress reactions, irritating effects or changes to the genetic material give information about unwanted effects on the test substances.

Due to the diversity of the nano materials tested, the researchers are expecting very varied results, which possibly could be transferred to related materials. INOS also plans to publish the research results on an internet database: www.nanotox.de

TRACER: The "toxicology and estimation of health risks of carbon nano materials" is the theme of the TRACER project, which is being supported by the Federal Ministry for training and research (until 2009) with €1.5 million and also by the industrial companies involved.

From carbon nano materials new, better plastic products are expected in the chemical, automobile, and aerospace industries. The project partners are therefore investigating the biological effects of carbon nano pipes and nano fibres over various intermediate stages in the production chain, from the manufacture of the basic materials to the functional sample. Therefore the researchers are also setting up computer simulations for the intake and dispersal of nano materials in the human body.