Tag Archives: Dr. Amanda Barnard

Nature’s nanostructures: a new book

Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization), issued a March 21, 2012 news release announcing a new book on biomimcry (or biomimetics), Nature’s Nanostructures edited by CSIRO scientists. From the news release,

A new book, which explores how nature’s own laboratory has been producing some of the world’s most advanced nanomaterials for millions of years, has been released.

Nature’s Nanostructures, edited by CSIRO scientists Dr Amanda Barnard and Dr Haibo Guo, focuses on the animals, minerals and extra-terrestrial bodies that have been producing nanomaterials for millennia.

In the first collection of its kind, each chapter charts the complex characteristics of different nanomaterials, including the iridescent scales on the exoskeletons of beetles, magnetic particles in the beaks of pigeons and gold particles found in ores.

The book brings together studies of entomology, geology, astronomy, physics, chemistry, molecular biology and health to build a complete picture of naturally occurring nanomaterials.

“I think is it generally assumed that nanomaterials are a relatively new phenomenon but some nanoparticles have been present in animals and minerals for millions of years and are a natural occurrence,” says Dr Barnard, leader of the Virtual Nanoscience Laboratory at CSIRO.

“This book uniquely charts the diversity of these naturally occurring materials. It is both humbling and comforting to realise that nature did it first and that nanomaterials are not as new as we think,” she adds.

Cameron Chai’s March 21, 2012 news item about the book on Azonano notes,

New CSIRO research on beetles and the reflective qualities of their shells is included in the book. The chapter titled ‘Photonic Crystals in Beetles’ explores 3D crystals produced by opal weevils and how these nanostructures not only create vivid structural colours, but also reflect light at virtually any angle.

The book also contains research, produced by scientists in the US and Germany, into the different levels of magneto-reception found in the beaks of homing pigeons and how the nanostructures in their beaks work as an efficient magnetic field amplifier.

The book is available for purchase through Amazon. I’ve linked to the Canadian Amazon site so the price is listed in Canadian dollars.

Amanda Barnard has been mentioned here previously in my March 10, 2010 posting and my June 16, 2010 posting.

Not enough data to assess risk for nanoscreens?

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I’m glad to see that the Friends of the Earth (FOE) civil society group (or nongovernmental agency) have responded to Andrew Maynard’s challenge. As I thought, the FOE has stated that it is impossible to assess the risk that nanoscreens (specifically the sunscreens’ titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide nanoparticles) present as there is not enough data.

The statement (posted in a June 15, 2010 posting on the 2020 Science blog) was made in response to a challenge by Dr. Andrew Maynard (blog owner) first issued in his June 8, 2010 posting (Friends of the Earth come down hard on nanotechnology – are they right?) and further detailed in another June 8, 2010 posting (Just how risky could nanoparticles in sunscreens be?).

FOE goes on to detail some of the problems associated with providing an answer (you can view the full statement in the first link provided in the second paragraph),

Andrew – thanks for the invitation to perform some complex risk assessment using several poorly understood variables. However we do have to point out that the world’s best minds don’t yet have enough information even to design reliable nanomaterial risk assessment processes, let alone to come up with a single ‘worst case scenario’ figure for long term health impacts of using nano-sunscreens.

The huge knowledge gaps plaguing nanomaterials toxicity and exposure assessment (along with preliminary studies suggesting the potential for serious harm) are key reasons for calls by Friends of the Earth Australia and United States for a precautionary approach to management of nanotoxicity risks.

I don’t think the sarcasm with which the authors (Georgia Miller and Ian Illuminato) open their statement is absolutely necessary but their main point is well made as it opens the door to a discussion about one’s perspective on and philosophy towards risk.

The impact that engineered nanoparticles of any kind could have on life is poorly understood and research is urgently needed. The research that has been undertaken on titanium dioxide and zinc oxide nanoparticles does suggest some potentially serious problems could occur. I want to emphasize my phrasing here ‘could occur’ because to date we have no evidence that anyone using nanoscreens has had any health issues as a consequence of their use. Still, the laboratory research is concerning. So, how are we as a society and as individuals going to approach the risk?

The school of thought which supports the FOE’s application of the precautionary principle seems to be that any element of risk should curtail use until the engineered nanoparticles have been extensively tested and then declared safe. I’m not clear how testing under those conditions could ever proceed to human clinical trials. It would not be possible to test every single variable or, more importantly, every combination of variables which could result in a risk. The net result would be: no nanoscreens while people use possibly inferior to nanosunscreen products to protect themselves from the sun’s effects.

I’ve commented about the Environmental Working Group (EWG) and their assessment of nanosunscreens previously (here). Last year (2009), they, reluctantly, after an extensive meta analysis of the available research recommended nanosunscreens on the basis that there was no compelling data to suggest undue risks. The EWG has not adjusted its stance since then and, this year, are warning against sunscreens that use Vitamin A and oxybenzone as well as sunscreens that are applied in spray or powder forms.

In most circumstances I imagine that the FOE and the EWG would be natural allies as both NGOs are focused on health and safety issues. So it’s strange that the FOE did not mention the EWG report (as I noted here) in the FOE’s own 2009 report on sunscreens although they did cite research from Japan that supports the FOE’s position but was released after the EWG’s 2009 recommendations.

In the instance of nanosunscreens, there appears to be a sharp division of opinion between the two groups. I think this points to a major philosophical difference in their approaches to risk. Faced with identical (or almost so) data sets, the FOE wants to halt use until these nanoparticles are declared safe while the EWG suggests that these nanosunscreens might be safer than conventional products currently in the marketplace and recommends their use.

The approach as exemplified by the FOE is to insist on extensive testing and guarantees as to how and when nanotechnology-enabled products are safe before they ever get near the marketplace. This is the precautionary principle being applied. Given the complex environment we all navigate on a daily basis, I can certainly understand the stance. However, I am pragmatic by nature and since testing every single possible variable and combination of variables is impossible I am more inclined to consider the data that we currently have available as inconclusive. I have read some (not all) of the materials and I’ve noticed that the scientists’ conclusions are always expressed in very measured tones.

To illustrate my point about the “measured tones”, I’ve excerpted this from FOE’s response to Andrew’s challenge in the June 15, 2010 posting on 2020 Science,

FOE: Transparent micron-particle sized zinc oxide sunscreens are commercially available; a recent article suggests most titanium dioxide nano-sunscreens on the market could be doing more harm than good. No-one need use nanoparticles in order to produce a cosmetically and functionally acceptable sunscreen.

The article is in Nature Nanotechnology (behind a paywall) and it’s the published version of Dr. Amanda Barnard’s work using a computer simulation to establish potential toxicity. From the Nature Nanotechnology article,

… using this technique [computer simulation] it is possible to draw direct comparisons between the SPF, transparency and potential toxicity of nanoparticles used in sunscreens, based on fundamental nanoscale properties, and optimize these parameters numerically. In general, optimization decisions of this type are usually based on product testing under expected usage conditions, but the results presented here do complement traditional product and consumer testing activities, and can also be applied to other thermal or chemical conditions, or applied to any other material where a trade-off is necessary when balancing efficacy, aesthetics and an undesirable side effect. [emphases mine]

I gather Dr. Barnard is viewing the use of a computer simulation in research as a complement and not as a replacement for or an equivalent to traditional testing. In an interview with Anna Salleh for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Science Online website,

Dr Barnard found that the size and concentrations of nanoparticles that gave the best transparency and sun protection also gave the highest potential for production of free radicals.

“Where we have the highest sun-protection factor – and it’s pretty – it [the sunscreen] is also toxic, potentially,” she said.

“Ultimately we have to trade off. We can’t have our cake and eat it too.”

I’m not sure what sort of trade-off Dr. Barnard might be suggesting but it’s clear that she’s aware that the use of nanotechnology-enabled products such as nanosunscreens is not a simplistic ‘good (conventional sunscreens) vs. bad (nanosunscreens)’ situation.

Dexter Johnson makes note of the FOE’s response to Andrew’s challenge in his essay (Daring to Challenge NGOs on Nanotech Risk) on the Nanoclast blog with some pithy and thought-provoking comments.

I do have one major point of difference with Dexter, I find the FOE’s suggestion that the companies selling the nanosunscreen products should provide their testing information to be a good idea although I first saw it in a comment from Hilary Sutcliffe in the comments section of one of Andrew’s June 8, 2010 postings.

I do believe that NGOs are important players in the debate but the tenor of the FOE’s response to Andrew’s challenge makes it a little harder to hold on to that belief. From the June 15, 2010 posting on Andrew’s blog,

Andrew, we respectfully suggest that someone of your expertise and stature could play a more constructive role in these debates – debates which should not be limited to a question of technical risk assessment. [emphasis mine]

I think the challenge was very constructive indeed.

I did comment on this latest sunscreen discussion last week, Part 1 and Part 2 where I discuss the nature of risk, uncertainty and nanosunscreens.

UK’s scientific century; les nanotechnologies and la perception publique; some Australian titanium dioxide research; nanotoxicology and fullerenes*

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The scientific century: securing our future prosperity is a report that was launched yesterday, March 9,2010, by the Royal Society (which is currently celebrating its 350th anniversary). I haven’t read it yet but Andrew Maynard at the 2020 Science blog provides a preliminary overview of the recommendations. From the Society’s report website page,

It distils two urgent messages. The first is the need to place science and innovation at the heart of the UK’s long-term strategy for economic growth. The second is the fierce competitive challenge we face from countries which are investing at a scale and speed that we may struggle to match.

You can download a copy of the full 70 odd page report here.

Not having read it, I can’t comment but I can look wistfully from an environment (Canada) where scientists appear to be largely indifferent to the notion of public outreach/education/engagement, developing policy statements and/or developing any kind of national vision for science.

While on their website, I noticed that the Royal Society is celebrating its 350th anniversary with a project (amongst many others) called Fulcrum/Writing a World, poetry in the London underground. Go here if you want to see the poems and accompanying commentaries by scientists responding to the work.

In January 2010, I mentioned there was a series of nanotechnology public debates in France which had been disrupted. I later (February 2010) noted a followup announcement of a report being published as an outcome for the debates and a call for more debates. Since the French are the only ones to get this agitated about nanotechnology, I’ve been curious as to why this is so. Thankfully, the folks at Je vote pour la science have a podcast interview (French language) with two Québec academics providing commentary as to possible reasons.

You can go here to get the podcasts or if your French isn’t up to it and you’re willing to deal with my wonky French skills, here’s my brief summary in English.

Two Québec academics, Sébastien Richard, PhD student at the Université de Montréal, and Celine Lafontaine, professor of sociology specializing in the cultural, social and symbolic aspects of technoscience at the Université de Montréal were interviewed. They noted that the French have a tradition of militancy and highly critical analysis. In addition, as far as the militant groups were concerned these debates/public engagement exercises were being held after the fact since nanotechnology products are already becoming prevalent. Also, Grenoble has become one of the biggest centres for nanotechnology work in Europe. All of this without any discussion beforehand. Finally, the debates were focused on smaller, more technical concerns rather than larger global issues such as, What are the effects on the environment?

When the academics were asked why this situation (concern/anger about nanotechnology) has not occurred in Québec, or Canada for that matter, I got confused. As far as I can tell, they felt that there’s just not enough nanotechnology or awareness of nanotechnology to spark any discussion. They did make mention of the ETC Group as one of the few activist (civil society) groups in Canada.

Lafontaine has a book, Nanotechnologies et Société, being published by Éditions Boréal in late March 2010 and Richard is one of her collaborators on the book.

A few comments I want to add: Canada has a National Institute of Nanotechnology (NINT) located in Edmonton, AB, and funded by the National Research Council (NRC) and the Province of Alberta. NINT is either the only or one of the very few such institutes which are considered a partnership by the NRC and the province where it is located. By contrast, Québec is the only province which supports a nanotechnology sector with specific and substantive money and provincial policies. (You can get more information at the NanoQuébec website.)

I have commented on titanium dioxide and its use in sunscreens previously (you can start here and follow subsequent links if you’re curious). Last year the Environmental Working Group (EWG, website here) came out with a report where they had analyzed all of the research on titanium dioxide (within certain parameters) and reluctantly come to the conclusion that its use in sunscreens was safe relative to the research accomplished to that time. Since then there have been some other studies which suggest there may be problems. These things are hard to assess if you don’t understand the parameters within which the research work was done. It takes a long time with lots of different ways of approaching the question before you can state confidently that something is safe or not and, in some cases, you’ll never be able to. According to Michael Berger (in an article on Nanowerk about nanotoxicology and carbon nanotubes [correction Mar.11.10: this should read as ‘nanotoxicology and fullerenes’]),

The cynics argue that it is impossible to fully explore the toxicological impact of every existing and future nanomaterial with its many millions of variants, so why bother with a few half-hearted and underfunded research projects. Rather, let’s wait until nanotechnology has its asbestos moment and some people drop dead – then we have something concrete to look into.

People who are taking a more thoughtful approach to the complexities of nanotoxicological research agree that most likely we never will have full scientific certainty about the environmental and health impact of nanomaterials. Today we don’t even know what the impact of most chemicals is, and that includes products we have been using for many years.

This has been a long of saying is that an Australian researcher, Dr. Amanda Barnard, has published a study in Nature Nano where she finds that certain sizes of titanium dioxide are more toxic than others. From the news item on Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC),

Dr Barnard found that the size and concentrations of nanoparticles that gave the best transparency and sun protection also gave the highest potential for production of free radicals.

“Where we have the highest sun-protection factor – and it’s pretty – it [the sunscreen] is also toxic, potentially,” she said.

“Ultimately we have to trade off. We can’t have our cake and eat it too.”

Dr Barnard found that only particles less than 13 nanometres in size would minimise free radical production while maximising transparency and sun protection.

But, she cautions against concluding that all particles under 13 nanometres in size would be free of potential risk.

“We only looked at free radical production and tiny particles like that could still be toxic for other reasons that still need to be tested,” she said.

She says further studies on the environmental impacts of nanoparticles in sunscreens are also required.

“All of these things wash off, when we’re swimming, and we wash them off and flush them down the sink,” Barnard says.

Presumably Barnard is concerned about water sources and about aquatic life and, as one should, calls for more research.

Tomorrow: I’ll point you to another UK report, this one about risk and trust.

FrogHeart

Commentary about nanotech, science policy and communication, society, and the arts

Tag Archives: Dr. Amanda Barnard

Nature’s nanostructures: a new book

Not enough data to assess risk for nanoscreens?

UK’s scientific century; les nanotechnologies and la perception publique; some Australian titanium dioxide research; nanotoxicology and fullerenes*