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Survey of nanotcnological consumer products Attachment A Survey MethodologyMethodology for the survey of a generic product To make a survey of the use of nanotechnology in 2006 is the same as to survey and predict the application of plastic materials in the beginning of the 1950s- Another difficulty is that the technology is not limited to individual trades. Earlier surveys have been carried out by for example contacting specific trade associations to collect information about the individual types of product. This is not possible with nanoproducts, as they can be developed and applied for all purposes, and the survey would be aimed at the entire Danish retail market. Therefore, this project is based on modified approach to survey methods. Information of relevant products has been collected by combining the following activities representing both a “top-down and a bottom-up approach”.
Top-down approach to producers and suppliers The development of nanotechnology in Denmark takes place particularly in the Nano-Science Centre, the University of Copenhagen, in NANO, the Universities of Aarhus and Aalborg and in NanoDTU, the Technical University of Denmark. Many of these companies working with nanotechnology in Denmark are spin-offs from the universities and the mentioned centres and the trade is cooperating closely on this area. The Information on new products and applications especially with respect to Denmark has been collected from these centres. Different trade associations that are expected to apply nanoparticles in their products have been contacted: The Association of Danish Cosmetics, Toiletries, Soap and Detergent Industries (SPT), the Association for Glue and Filler, the Danish Paintmakers’ Association (FDLF), the Danish Association for Trade and Distribution of Chemicals, Federation of Danish Textile and Clothing. A contact person of the trade associations has been interviewed by telephone and a specific spreadsheet with inquiries about information of the following individual products: Name of company; name of product, type of product; functional category; physical state of the product; mode of application, percentage content of active nanomaterial, possibly CAS No., possibly other substances in the product, suppliers, importers and distributors of the product. Bottom-up approach to products During the survey, a dialogue with suppliers and producers of nanoproducts has been established. Some producers have been contacted to establish a dialogue about survey of the products on the Danish market. A screening of the market has been made through internet searches and searches in other relevant media. Information can be gained from a list of selected imported products that are generated via information collected in e.g. www. Statistikbanken.dk and www.nanosalg.dk. The originally suggested bottom-up survey method based on a contact with Danish producers and suppliers of products containing nanoparticles or built on nanotechnology did not prove satisfactory. The primary reason to this is the increasing sale from the internet. Therefore the survey of consumer products is primarily based on information in the database “A Nanotechnology Consumer Products Inventory” (http://www.nanotechnproject.org/44/consumer-nanotechnology) prepared by “The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies” which is a cooperation between The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and Pew Caritable Trusts. Most of the products in this database (pt.276) which are continuously updated fulfill the following criteria: The products can be purchased directly by the consumers. It has been identified by the producer or another source as based on technology and the information on content of nanoparticles in the product seems reasonable. The products in the database are categorizes as follows:
The survey of DHI has been performed by investigating if the product available in the database is also marketed on the Danish market or possibly can be purchased from a web shop. We have registered, if the product that are not presently sold in Denmark are sold in our neighbouring countries and may be imported through ‘border trade’ or if they can be expected to be introduced to the Danish market later on. Besides, a number of products have been identified by direct contact to Danish producers of nanotechnological consumer products. Through DEPA, one of our contacts within the authorities, we have investigated, if they have received notifications/inquiries in accordance with relevant Statutory Orders in the area, e.g. classification and labelling, articles or the Product Register. The National Research Centre for the Working Environment has been contacted. The institute has established a knowledge database on application and exposure to nanotechnology in the working environment.
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