21st Century New Technologies – How can Environmental Health respond?

Dramatic advances are being made in novel sciences such as nanotechnology, synthetic biology, advanced materials and digital technology which will have an impact on the daily lives of our communities. Yet still little is known publicly about the substances these novel sciences will produce which will have new and different chemical and biological structures and functions. Many of which will bring significant benefits but some may also carry significant risks to human health and the environment. As products containing these new materials emerge onto the open market, the public are likely to turn to the environmental health professionals for their advice and assistance where there is uncertainty concerning product content and safety. There is now a greater need to inform our profession of the emergence of these new substances and their products, their potential benefits and risks, and the future actions environmental health practitioners may be called upon on to take.

The paper will examine the current policy, technical, and scientific thinking on the benefits and risks posed by the products of these 21st century technologies to human health and the environment, and consider the role which environmental health practitioners will have to play in informing and safeguarding their communities.