Obama’s EPA Poised To Crack Down On Nanotech - New Haven Independent

(By Alex Halpern) The world’s smallest materials are going under the government’s microscope.

Under agency chief Lisa Jackson, the Obama Administration’s Environmental Protection Agency has promised to tighten regulations on nanomaterials, particles as small as molecules which are used by companies working in fields as varied as cosmetics and advanced materials.

At atomic levels many materials take on unique characteristics. Surface areas relative to mass can increase and often a material’s conductivity or water solubility changes. These properties make nanoparticles the basis for powerful new medical and consumer products. But some nanomaterials have also raised worries from environmental and health watchdogs.