CPSC Not Prepared For Nanotech

The Consumer Product Safety Commission lacks the resources, authority, and scientific expertise to ensure that nanotech-based consumer products are safe, according to a new report by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN) at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. The report offers numerous recommendations to improve CPSC's oversight of nanomaterials in everyday consumer goods such as toys, baby products, sports and fitness equipment, home improvement products, household appliances, clothing, and electronics. Suggestions include building CPSC's expertise in nanotechnology and giving CPSC the authority to require manufacturers to identify nanomaterials in their products.