Vietnam has taken its first steps towards nano-safety management –a concept still novel but essential, a senior official said at aworkshop on March 28.

Experts at the workshopsaid that initial steps being taken include raising public awareness ofnanomaterial risks to human health and environment and formulating anational programme on nano technology development.

Nanotechnology can be widely used in many areas including chemicals,cosmetics, energy, electronics, engineering, food and medicine, theysaid. However, while it can have beneficial applications in all theseareas, it can also have unintended effects that can adversely impact theenvironment, both within the human body and within the naturalecosystem, they added.

Hoang Duong Tung, deputydirector of the Vietnam Environment Administration (VEA), saidnanotechnology was already being applied in many fields in Vietnam ,therefore, focusing on nano safety management was important task.

Nguyen Anh Tuan, from the VEA's Pollution Control Department, namedseveral risks that nanomaterials could exert on human health andenvironment.

He said a nano particle couldinvade water and soil resources when products using nanotechnology werebeing transported or used, and this can have unforeseen impacts.

A nano particle can cause DNA damage among human beings as also stunt plant growth, he said.

Nguyen Xuan Phuc, former chairman of Vietnam Academy of Science andTechnology's Institute of Materials Science, said two steps have to betaken to raise public awareness of nano risks to human health andenvironment.
First, children should, step-by step, beeducated on nano-related concepts at schools. Second, mass media have tostrengthen dissemination of accurate information, he said./.