In collaboration with Environment & Resources DTU, DHI is currently implementing the project 'Mapping of products containing nanoparticles or based on nanotechnology' for the Danish Environmental Protection Agency.
Consumer products with nanoparticles or based on nanotechnology will be mapped for selected sectors of the Danish market: clothing, surface treatment, cosmetics and transports. It is in these sectors that most products and presumably the most direct contact to consumers occur. The main objective of the project is the mapping of the products, however, potential health problems related to the use of the products will be brought up and assessed.
Nanotechnology is nominated the foundation of the near future development of new technologies and products within eg materials, health and the environment. Danish R&D within nanotechnology is thus in explosive development and new products and applications based on a nanotech platform are continuously launched. In Denmark, only a very limited full-scale production of nanoparticles for application in consumer goods currently exists, however, goods based on nanotech are imported primarily directly as manufactured goods but also for the manufacturing of products.
The mapping will result in an overview of the volume of products containing nanoparticles or based on nanotechnology on the Danish retail market and, to the greatest possible extent, identify which products may reasonably be expected to emerge on the Danish market in the next few years.
Examples from the Danish market of products with nanoparticles or based on nanotechnology are: surface treatment of windows, glass and flagged paths, anti-grafitti covers for S-trains, dirt-repellent textiles and furniture, antifouling, cosmetics and food supplements, eg sun lotions and products with special nanosize micells with encapsulated vitamin E, A or Q10. Examples within sports are tennis and badminton rackets based on nanotechnology in the form of C-60 molecules also known as buckyballs.