Comments on: Join the Community

By: Faith Williams

Faith Williams — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:15:06 +0000

An important area Good characterisation of nanomaterials is a prerequisite for understanding any potential nanotoxicology

By: Debra Kaden

Debra Kaden — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:06:51 +0000

Thank you for telling me about this initiative. The only way to understand toxicity is to understand exposure, and characterization is a key to understanding exposure.

By: Sylvia Chan Remillard

Sylvia Chan Remillard — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:29:54 +0000

An excellent way to encourage international multidiscplinary discussion.

By: Emily Lesher

Emily Lesher — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 18:14:19 +0000

Thank you for bringing us all together, Andrew.
-Emily Lesher, Colorado School of Mines

By: Bob Carr

Bob Carr — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:19:13 +0000

Can I draw the attention of the community to a new technique that you might not have come across. NanoSight produces a laser based optical microscope with which nanoparticles as small as 10-20nm in a liquid can be seen directly and idividually(but not imaged!). By analysing a video of their Brownian motion we can give you their size, particle size distribution profile and concentration in real-time. Compared to DLS, we do well in polydisperse/complex systems. Sorry if this sounds a bit like an advert (obviously it is a little bit!) but please do have a look at http://www.nanosight.com.
We’re really keen to work with researchers in the nanotox area given we’ve had some success already in this field.

By: James F Ranville

James F Ranville — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:20:00 +0000

This is a critical issue. I look forward to seeing this initiative develop further.

By: Charles Clifford

Charles Clifford — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 15:09:01 +0000

I look forward to keeping in touch with this important initiative.

By: K S Ramchander Rao

K S Ramchander Rao — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:31:54 +0000

It is high time that we realize that characterization is an important step, since nanoparticle technology has now come to stay for many more years, for ever, if I am not exaggerating. Therefore, it is more pertinent to safeguards in place before many more products are released in to the environment, intentionally or otherwise. I am an aerobiologist dealing with probable nanoparticle interactions with the microbes and subsequent impact on microbes??? I have organized a symposium in March 2007 by name AEROBIONANO-2007 to highlight such issues. Dispersal of these nanomaterials/particles in air, water and soil is going to be a major concern which need to be addressed on war footing.

By: Teresa Fernandes

Teresa Fernandes — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 09:53:57 +0000

From the messages below I think we all agree that characterisation is a key step in the development and implementation of a safer nanotechnology sector. It is important though that discussions continue to take place concerning what level of characterisation is required in this context and how we can tackle this subject when dealing with soil and sedimentary systems.

By: Shareen H. Doak

Shareen H. Doak — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 11:51:31 +0000

It is difficult to compare studies in the literature when adequate characterisation is lacking and such information may be key to interpreting conflicting results. This is a great initiative and will no doubt improve the quality of the scientific studies performed so that firm conclusions on the safey of nanomaterials can be established.