The aerosol form of Magic Nano, a glass/ceramic selant, has been recalled in Germany. Apparently some customers were sickened by the aerosol and hospitalized. Meanwhile, anti-nano activists are exploiting the recall even though it turns out that the product may not have any nanoparticles in it at all. From Technology Review:
Previously, the product had been sold in a pump spray container, and during four years no problems with it were reported, according to Jurgen Kundke, a spokesperson for Germany's Federal Institute for Risk Assessment. The aerosol form creates a much finer mist of droplets than the pump, possibly allowing the droplets to stay in the air longer or to penetrate further into the lungs, says Kundke.
"We have seen this effect in other sprays with no nanoparticles, so it's a question of the aerosol and not especially of the nanoparticles," Kundke says. Although the product is labeled "nano," Kundke says it might not contain nanotechnology. "The recipes are still secret, he says. "We don't even know if there was nano in the product…"
While acknowledging that the cause of the health problems associated with the German product is uncertain, organizations such as The Nanoethics Group, an nonpartisan research organization based in Santa Barbara, CA, say the incident should be a "wake-up call" that the potential risks of nanotechnology are real and deserve more attention by both government and industry. "Historically, it takes something catastrophic, such as widespread injury from asbestos, for real action to be taken. This time, hopefully, we will be smarter than that and not wait for the other shoe to drop," says the group's research director, Patrick Lin.
Link
(via Howard Lovy's recently revived NanoBot)
