Albany

Amid all the hope and enthusiasm for nanotechnology in the Capital Region, there is often a sense of unease with the public health implications.

Although nanotechnology is widely believed to be revolutionizing everything from consumer electronics to health care, experts say a lot more research has to be done on the occupational and public health impacts.

A new study by the Maryland-based Sustainable Investments Institute says that many companies don't disclose the nanotechnology they use in their products or the potential risks, putting whole industry sectors at risk for legal and financial problems down the road.

"This means companies should tell investors how they are using nanotechnology and taking appropriate precautions," Heidi Welsh, executive director of the Sustainable Investments Institute said when the study was released last month.

The study, called "Nanotechnology and the S&P 500: Small Sizes, Big Questions," was commissioned by the Investor Responsibility Research Center Institute, a Wall Street think tank that supports corporate responsibility.

The strict definition of nanotechnology is something that is measured in nanometers. One nanometer is one-billionth of a meter in size. For instance, a strand of DNA has a diameter of 2.5 nanometers, while a gold atom is less than a third of a nanometer, according to the National Nanotechnology Initiative.

The concern is that so-called man-made "nanoparticles" could have unintended consequences on the human body and the environment. In some cases, for instance, nanoparticles can take on different physical properties than would normally be expected.

SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Albany, home to the Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, has been focusing on the public health impacts of nanotechnology for years now and recently expanded its collaboration with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health on a joint research project into safety and health in the electronics industry.

SUNY Poly spokesman Jerry Gretzinger said the school has also developed industry standards in partnership with Sematech, the semiconductor manufacturing consortium that is located on campus.

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Growing industry still unsure of the risks of nanotechnology