Nanotechnology in the real world: Redeveloping the nanomaterial consumer products inventory

Abstract

To document the marketing and distribution of nano-enabled products into the commercial marketplace, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies created the Nanotechnology Consumer Products Inventory (CPI) in 2005. The objective of this present work is to redevelop the CPI by leading a research effort to increase the usefulness and reliability of this inventory. We created eight new descriptors for consumer products, including information pertaining to the nanomaterials contained in each product. The project was motivated by the recognition that a diverse group of stakeholders from academia, industry, and state/federal government had become highly dependent on the inventory as an important resource and bellweather of the pervasiveness of nanotechnology in society. We interviewed 68 nanotechnology experts to assess key information needs. Their answers guided inventory modifications by providing a clear conceptual framework best suited for user expectations. The revised inventory was released in October 2013. It currently lists 1814 consumer products from 622 companies in 32 countries. The Health and Fitness category contains the most products (762, or 42% of the total). Silver is the most frequently used nanomaterial (435 products, or 24%); however, 49% of the products (889) included in the CPI do not provide the composition of the nanomaterial used in them. About 29% of the CPI (528 products) contain nanomaterials suspended in a variety of liquid media and dermal contact is the most likely exposure scenario from their use. The majority (1288 products, or 71%) of the products do not present enough supporting information to corroborate the claim that nanomaterials are used. The modified CPI has enabled crowdsourcing capabilities, which allow users to suggest edits to any entry and permits researchers to upload new findings ranging from human and environmental exposure data to complete life cycle assessments. There are inherent limitations to this type of database, but these modifications to the inventory addressed the majority of criticisms raised in published literature and in surveys of nanotechnology stakeholders and experts. The development of standardized methods and metrics for nanomaterial characterization and labelling in consumer products can lead to greater understanding between the key stakeholders in nanotechnology, especially consumers, researchers, regulators, and industry.

Keywords: consumer products; database; inventory; nanoinformatics; nanomaterials.

Figure 1

Number of available products over time (since 2007) in each major category and in the Health and Fitness subcategories.

Figure 2

(a) Claimed composition of nanomaterials listed in the CPI, grouped into five major categories: not advertised, metal (including metals and metal oxides), carbonaceous nanomaterials (carbon black, carbon nanotubes, fullerenes, graphene), silicon-based nanomaterials (silicon and silica), and other (organics, polymers, ceramics, etc.). (b) Claimed elemental composition of nanomaterials listed in the metals category: silver, titanium, zinc, gold, and other metals (magnesium, aluminum oxide, copper, platinum, iron and iron oxides, etc.). (c) Claimed carbonaceous nanomaterials (CNT = carbon nanotubes).

Figure 3

Major nanomaterial composition groups over time. Carbon = carbonaceous nanomaterials (carbon black, carbon nanotubes, fullerenes, graphene). Other = organics, ceramics, polymers, clays, nanocellulose, liposomes, nano micelles, carnauba wax, etc. Note the difference in scale between the top and bottom panels in this plot.

Figure 4

Major nanomaterial composition pairs in consumer products. Carbonaceous nanomaterials (carbon black, carbon nanotubes, fullerene, and graphene) were combined into the same category (carbon). Grey boxes in the diagonal represent the total times each nanomaterial composition has been listed with other compositions in the same product.

Figure 5

Locations of nanomaterials in consumer products for which a nanomaterial composition has been identified.

Figure 6

Expected benefits of incorporating nanomaterial additives into consumer products.

Figure 7

Potential exposure pathways from the expected normal use of consumer products, grouped by major nanomaterial composition categories.

Figure 8

Distribution of products into the “How much we know” categories.

Figure 9

Nanotechnology survey answers on how respondents have used the CPI in the past and how they might use it in the future.