Nanomaterials are objects measuring 100 nanometers or less.

 

The nanometer is the billionth of a meter.

This size gives nanomaterials a multiplied exchange surface.

The physico-chemical properties of nanomaterials are also unprecedented. 

At these orders of magnitude, nano-silver becomes a powerful antibacterial, nano-carbon becomes up to a hundred times stronger than steel, nano-titanium dioxide becomes transparent, liquids become super-fluid, etc

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But nanomaterials have effects on health which are not understood and they are difficult to identify by consumers. Nanomaterials are objects measuring 100 nanometers or less. 

The nanometer is the billionth of a meter. This size gives nanomaterials a multiplied exchange surface. The physico-chemical properties of nanomaterials are also unprecedented. At these orders of magnitude, nano-silver becomes a powerful antibacterial, nano-carbon becomes up to a hundred times stronger than steel, nano-titanium dioxide becomes transparent, liquids become super-fluid, etc.

In maintenance, nanomaterials are used to make surfaces self-cleaning and hydrophobic such as in window products or in anti-fouling sprays.

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UNKNOWN EFFECTS ON HEALTH

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But their size also allows nanomaterials to penetrate deep into cell biology. 1 nanometer is the size of the radius of the DNA helix contained in the nucleus of cells. The nucleus itself of the cell is 5,000 times larger, about 5 microns.

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 The effects of nanomaterials on living organisms are not yet appreciated.

Tests and laboratory experiments on cells and organisms show that nanomaterials, by their size, have the capacity to insert themselves into the heart of cells and their nuclei and can disrupt their functioning and replication.

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UNIDENTIFIABLE NANOMATERIALS FOR THE CONSUMER

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To date, European regulations present a legal vagueness on the use of nanomaterials. Substances used in this form do not have an identification number differentiated from their non-nanometric state. The mandatory labeling of voluntarily added nanomaterials is little observed *. Unintentionally added nanomaterials do not need to be declared and labeled.

However, nanomaterials can be released by fragmentation during the various stages of manufacture.

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KNOW THE NANOMATERIAL INGREDIENTS

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The list of ingredients that may exist on the market in nanometric form is detailed in Appendix 1 of the 2017 study report from the Ministry of Ecological and Inclusive Transition "Elements from the declarations of substances in the nanoparticulate state".

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More specifically, a list of cosmetic ingredients that may exist in nanometric form is also detailed in the June 2017 report of the European Commission “catalog of nanomaterials used in cosmetic products placed on the market”.

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* Of the 45 cosmetic samples analyzed by the DGCCRF (General Directorate for Competition, Consumption and Fraud Control),

37 references were found to contain nanomaterials without being mentioned on the label