Abstract:
Nanotechnology appears in many areas of
applied sciences and technics. There are many
applications of nanotechnology in health system,
pharmaceutical industry, electrical engineering,
transportation by air, space travel, beauty industry,
catering. It is present in industry and everyday life
as well, thus it is an important risk factor of the so
called non-contagious diseases in the public health
sector – even beyond the working environment.
Science people have already started the debate
about the pollution and unforeseen health problems
related to nanomaterials. Researchers have concentrated on the risks on health of easily respirable
micro particles, not to mention those „nano-robots”
designed to function in our body. The diseases caused by the nanomaterials in the respiratory and
skin systems, the nervous system, the digestive
organs, the endocrine system may produce unforeseen, unknown symptoms – as opposite to macro
materials – they penetrate and harm healthy cells
through the cell walls. Thus the incubation period
of work-related diseases is significantly changed as
well. The risk is increased by the fact that these materials are not handled separate, in closed systems. By
penetrating the vaste, the soil, the water resources
they will have not only have harmful health effects
on the working people, but impair the health of the
whole population, causing significant public health
and economical damages.
These factors increase the responsibility of
occupational health and safety specialists in the
given area as well. The risk assessment has to cover
the risk factors due to the working environment, the
working activity and the individual particularities
and their management. The successful risk management needs a change of attitude both in the world of
work and in society (the media emphasize only the
potential advantages not the health risks and so a
false image is produced for the everyday people) and
in legislation, as the nano story is about a very slow
and weak regulation mechanism, as Nigel Cameron
states in the above-mentioned book.
