The burgeoning field of nanotechnology is full of unknowns, with risks and dangers that are difficult to measure or control. It’s a fact that has insurance companies as eager as researchers and regulators to discover the potential dangers of this emerging and promising technology. Late last year the CRO Forum, a risk-management consortium made up of European insurance companies, issued a briefing warning insurers that they are already assuming risks associated with nanotechnology, as products are currently on the market or in development. “For insurers, nanotechnology remains largely beyond the bounds of prevailing actuarial calculations and underwriting standards,” the CRO briefing says. “Yet every day, knowingly or unknowingly, insurers assume risks associated with nanotechnology and extend a considerable amount of capital in terms of policy limits, defense obligations and/or other commitments.” More information is needed about what the risks are, the report said, particularly about the nanomaterial’s life cycle, and how the risks might change over time. The briefing says: “From the insurer’s perspective, negative effects that manifest themselves quickly can be identified and contained before they escalate into widespread harm and major losses. Determining whether a nanomaterial holds some latent hazard that may have a significant but delayed impact is a much more difficult task and a key concern for insurers.”