The challenges of sharing nanospecific information to the range of stakeholders who require it—researchers, manufacturers, retailers, consumers, and recyclers—range from finding the appropriate recipient-specific tools to transfer data, to ensuring that the flow of information is uninterrupted and that stakeholders are accountable for costs and oversight of the tools.
The Innovation Society's Information Pyramid begins with Substance Documentation services for regulators and authories. Building on this database would be re-visioned MSDS that cover nanomaterial property information. The third level would be Product Inserts, for both consumer and industrial products, that would be useful to retailers, consumers, and recyclers. At the top of the pyramid are Nano-Labels, which would be of use to consumers.
The Nano Information Pyramid document breifly outlines the current status of labels for cosmetics, as an example of the first mandatory nano-branding in Europe and their role in information provision.
Both the NanoRegulation Conference Report and the Nano Information Pyramid are availabe for free download from the Innovation Society's website.
Image: Detail of tools, gaps, and existing approaches, Figure 2; copyright 2010 Innovation Society.
