Safe as sunshine?

摘要

The suggestion that imposing stricter controls over a fledgling field such as nanotechnology could help the UK steal a march on its competitors may seem laughable. But some researchers now believe the country could gain a vital lead in the emerging sector by developing a uniform toxicity screening system to assess the safety of nanoparticles. As more companies, their employees and customers come into contact with nanotechnology-based processes and products, such a test could help the sector avoid comparisons with earlier disastrous developments such as asbestos.