You may be interested in an article published by BNA's Product Safety & Liability Reporter in April 2011: "Nanotechnology Manufacturers' Duty to Warn and Potential Affirmative Defenses."

The well-written article, by attorneys James W. Mizgala and Michael L. Lisak (Sidley Austin LLP in Chicago), assesses a manufacturer's duty to warn of potential dangers posed by nanomaterials, and then offers suggestions for defenses that could be raised by nanomaterial defendants facing failure to warn claims.

A few excerpts are provided below, to help you decide whether you want to obtain the full article.

Nanodermatology Society  

Where NANOTECHNOLOGY and DERMATOLOGY Meet

A number of posts in the past year have concerned updates about the potential risks of nanoparticles that are now in common use in sunscreen products – namely Zinc Oxide (ZnO) and Titanium Dioxide (TiO2). Some groups, such as Friends of the Earth, claim that nano-based sunscreens are actually hazardous to human health.

To address concerns, the Nanodermatology Society (NDS) was formed in 2010.
The NDS is a non-profit organization charged with monitoring nanotechnology as it relates to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of skin disease and evaluating their potential benefits and risks. The Society is composed of physicians, dermatologists, physicists, chemists, policy makers, regulators, nanotechnology scientists, and students involved in nanotechnology specifically related to dermatology from teaching, to education, to scientific research. For more information, see the NDS web site at www.nanodermsociety.org.

NDS has conducted what it considers a rigorous review of the scientific literature regarding the use and safety of nano-sized ultraviolet blocking ingredients. The result is issuance of The 2011 Nanodermatology Society Position Statement on Sunscreens.

"The picture is clear from all the available data," explains Dr. Adam Friedman Vice-President of the Nanodermatology Society and senior author of the Position Statement. "To date, the data show that the nanotechnology used in sunscreens is safe."

"Potential Human Health Risks of Nanomaterials" was published in the March issue of the International Risk Management Institute (IRMI) newsletter.

The article, authored by Gradient Corp.’s Dr. Marc Nascarella and Dr. Barbara Beck, along with Attorney Joseph Clark of Day Pitney LLP, focuses on the potential human health hazards, risks, and liability issues associated with nanomaterial exposure.

The full article is available here, and is excerpted below.