Calls for greater regulation of nanotechnology -- or at least a better understanding of its potential risks -- have been on the rise. The most recent inventory of consumer products containing nanotechnology may indicate why. The latest update to the inventory developed by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN) shows the number of nano-enabled consumer products slid past 1,000, a growth rate of 379% since the list launched in 2006. PEN director David Rejeski says the number of products on the inventory could approach 1,600 in the next two years at its current growth rate.
1,015 number of consumer products or product lines on PEN inventory as of Aug. 25, 2009
212 number of consumer products on PEN inventory when it launched in March 2006
540 number of products on inventory from U.S.-based companies, the most from any of the 24 countries represented on the list
60 percentage of products on inventory representing health and fitness items
259 number of products that contain silver nanoparticles, used for their antimicrobial properties
See Also
