Nano-solutions or Macro-failures? An application of the Public Values Failure Model to the Purification of Water with Nanotechnologies

摘要

New scientific discoveries and technologies can provide substantial benefits for addressing societal problems. They can also pose new challenges and risks. This paper presents the Public Values Failure Model (PVFM) which can assist engineers, managers, and policymakers in considering the broader implications of their work and technology's impact on society. This model assists in identifying the public values associated with a problem and evaluating the potential public values failures associated with a proposed technical solution. The PVFM is demonstrated using the case of the application of nanotechnologies to water purification.