The environmental NGO Friends Of Earth Australia is campaigning on nanotechnologies. The organisation calls for a moratorium on the research, development and production of synthetic nanomaterials until society can engage in a thorough analysis of the health, environmental and socio-economic implications of nanotechnology, and a comprehensive regulatory regime is introduced to protect the health and safety of workers, the public and the environment.

Nanotechnology is a several billion dollar industry that is wholly unregulated. The overwhelming majority of the general public - and much of government - remains unaware of what the term "nanotechnology" means. However research, development and industrial use of nanotechnology has been growing rapidly for the past decade.

"Hundreds of products containing nanomaterials are already sold commercially, in the absence of safety testing, any government regulation or a transparent labelling regime", says the NGO.

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