Exploring Boundaries Around the Safe Use of Advanced Materials: A Prospective Product-Based Case Studies Approach

Engineered nanomaterials have been a focus of intense interest since the late 1990s, but in their simplest form they are just one example of an increasing array of advanced materials currently being researched, developed, and incorporated into a diverse range of products. These represent increasingly complex "designer materials" that are enabling the development of novel products and providing new solutions to the many pressing challenges that individuals, and society as a whole, are facing. However, their novelty raises important questions surrounding potential short- and long-term health and environmental impact. Without systematic approaches to addressing the potential health and environmental risks presented by advanced materials more generally, there is a danger of unforeseen impacts from naïve development and use at one end of the spectrum, and lost opportunities through over-cautious development driven by fear of unknown risks at the other. Rather, approaches are needed that guide the responsible use of advanced materials that minimize potential risks, while enabling the social, environmental, and economic benefits to be fully realized.