“With new properties come new issues. This is what makes “nano” interesting in various fields of technologies. When they are used in these new ways, safety of nanomaterials has raised serious concerns. Because of their very small size and higher surface area per mass, most nanomaterials often behave differently from their bulk counterparts and need to be tested separately. As with ordinary materials, some nanomaterials will be more harmful than others and some may be appropriate to be used in one context, but not in others” said Dr. Rawiwan during her Nanosafety talk at AIT. Whatever the case, nanotechnology is here to stay whether we like it or not. It is therefore necessary for countries to implement several public hearings to discuss issues related to nanotechnology and nanosafety. The final outcome of these discussions is to explore ways to finalize a national Nanosafety Strategic Plan.
On this occasion, the organizers of NanoThailand 2010 organized a public discussion session on “Nanotechnology and NanoSafety Strategic Plan” on November 20 at Thailand Science Park. Dr. Suwit Wibulpolprasert M.D, Senior Policy Advisor at the Ministry of Public Health gave a talk on the Importance of Nanosafety to open the session. Also speaking at this session was Dr. Nuttapun Supaka, Head of Testing and Service Lab (NANOTEC) and Dr. Sirasak Teparkum, Senior Director for Technology Transfer and Business Development (NANOTEC).
