Such interest is well founded.Touted as the impetus for a 21st century industrial revolution, manufactured nanoscale materials (less than 100 nanometers) are being studied intensely by a variety of industries. Worldwide, governments are alr... Such interest is well founded.Touted as the impetus for a 21st century industrial revolution, manufactured nanoscale materials (less than 100 nanometers) are being studied intensely by a variety of industries. Worldwide, governments are already investing billions of dollars in nanotechnology; that figure almost certainly will surpass $1 trillion in the next 10 years. Perhaps the only thing that approaches nanotechnology's technological potential is the uncertainty surrounding its occupational health risks. Relatively little is known about the exposure patterns and toxicity levels of ultrafine materials. But with hundreds of thousands of workers expected to join an industry that likely will redefine nearly every aspect of
manufacturing and processing in the coming years, it’s essential that IHs learn as much as they can about potential workplace safety issues related to nanotechnology. “This is an opportunity for IHs to be at the forefront of solving problems before they arise,” says Mark Hoover, a senior research scientist at NIOSH in Morgantown, W.Va.“It is certainly a better approach
than having to react to a problem or perform a cleanup on short notice.”
Such interest is well founded.Touted as the impetus for a 21st century industrial revolution, manufactured nanoscale materials (less than 100 nanometers) are being studied intensely by a variety of industries. Worldwide, governments are already investing billions of dollars in nanotechnology; that figure almost certainly will surpass $1 trillion in the next 10 years. Perhaps the only thing that approaches nanotechnology's technological potential is the uncertainty surrounding its occupational health risks. Relatively little is known about the exposure patterns and toxicity levels of ultrafine materials. But with hundreds of thousands of workers expected to join an industry that likely will redefine nearly every aspect of
manufacturing and processing in the coming years, it’s essential that IHs learn as much as they can about potential workplace safety issues related to nanotechnology. “This is an opportunity for IHs to be at the forefront of solving problems before they arise,” says Mark Hoover, a senior research scientist at NIOSH in Morgantown, W.Va.“It is certainly a better approach
than having to react to a problem or perform a cleanup on short notice.”
目前社会对此(某种纳米技术的研究?)兴趣浓厚。甚至有舆论鼓吹它将是21世纪产业革命的推动力,不同的产业对纳米级别的材料(比100纳米还小)的研究也如火如荼。世界范围内,各国政府已经斥资数十亿美金用于纳米技术的(研究开发)投资;这个数字在未来10年内更是会超过1万亿美金。也许唯yi逼近纳米技术潜能的,也就是(人们)围绕它的职业健康危害产生的不确定性。相关的,目前对极微小物质泄露形态和毒害程度也知之甚少。但是考虑到成千上万工人要加入到这个产业 -- 一个未来几年内很可能重新定义生产和工艺几乎每个方面的产业 -- 使职业健康管理人员了解尽可能多关于纳米技术潜在工作环境安全威胁就显得尤为必要。“对于职业健康管理人员来说,这是一个很好的机会,能让他们在问题发生之前处在Z前线解决问题。”美国国家职业安全与健康研究所西弗吉尼亚州摩根镇高级研究科学家马克.胡佛这样说到,“这当然比尴尬面对问题处理,或者紧急警报后清场要好得多。”