Ministry Cautions On Consumers’ Exposure To Nanotechnology

ECOTALES/ENVIRONMENT

Director, Department of Pollution Control and Environmental Health in the Federal Ministry of Environment, Mrs Olufunke Babade, has told the Federal Government to put in place, measures that will prevent exposure of consumers to nanotechnology.

Babade made the call in Abuja on Wednesday at a workshop on the Review and Adoption of Nanosafety Priority Concerns into National Profile on Chemicals Management Infrastructure.

Nanotechnology refers to the projected ability to construct items from the bottom up, using techniques and tools being developed today to make complete and high performance products.

Nanotechnology may be in medicine, electronics, bio-materials and energy production.

According to the director, the Federal Government and the industry should put in place measures that would prevent or minimise exposure of workers, consumers to particularly hazardous manufactured nanotechnology.

She said that where there was uncertainty as to the environmental human health impact, step to inform downstream users through the entire supply chain via material safety data sheets should be taken as appropriate.

The director said that the need and capacity of developing nations and countries with economies in transition to cope with manufactured nanotechnology must be identified.

She said that the workshop would provide stakeholders the opportunity to consider the relevance of nanotechnology and manufacturing to national situation through integration of chemicals management infrastructure.

Remarking that environment was a shared responsibility by everyone, the director urged stakeholders to strive to maintain the integrity of the nation’s environment.

The director stressed that Nigerians should tap into the benefits and opportunities provided by new chemicals for national development.