The use of environmental, health and safety research in nanotechnology research

Title: The use of environmental, health and safety research in nanotechnology research
Format: Journal Article
Publication Date: 2011
Published In: Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
Description: Environmental, health, and safety (EHS) concerns are receiving considerable attention in nanoscience and nanotechnology (nano) research and development (R&D). Policymakers and others have urged that research on nano's EHS implications be developed alongside scientific research in the nano domain rather than subsequent to applications. This concurrent perspective suggests the importance of early understanding and measurement of the diffusion of nano EHS research. The paper examines the diffusion of nano EHS publications, defined through a set of search terms, into the broader nano domain using a global nanotechnology R&D database developed at Georgia Tech. The results indicate that nano EHS research is growing rapidly although it is orders of magnitude smaller than the broader nano S&T domain. Nano EHS work is moderately multidisciplinary, but gaps in biomedical nano EHS's connections with environmental nano EHS are apparent. The paper discusses the implications of these results for the continued monitoring and development of the cross-disciplinary utilization of nano EHS research. Copyright © 2011 American Scientific Publishers All rights reserved.
Ivan Allen College Contributors:
Citation: Journal of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. 11. Issue 1. 158 - 166. ISSN 1533-4880. DOI 10.1166/jnn.2011.3840.
Related Departments:
  • School of Public Policy