This document was prepared by Katherine Watlington, a National Network of Environmental Management studies grantee, under a fellowship from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This paper seeks to provide a holistic view of the state of the science of nanotechnology. Both the commercialized nanotechnology products and many of the technologies being researched in academia are discussed. Attention is given both to the research itself as well as the remedial capabilities. The toxicity and safety concerns of the individual technologies are also briefly outlined as are the overall toxicity concerns related more generally to the field of nanotechnology. Finally the current state of regulation is addressed. |