Appliance Design - August 2008 - (Page 4)

EDItorIal ® www.applianceDESIGN.com n the 1920s, the observation that exposure to X-rays caused hair to fall out led to the widespread establishment of clinics and salons specializing in X-ray removal of unwanted body and facial hair. Newspapers of the day praised the modern, painless technique. When it was learned that these treatments led to scarring, disfigurement, cancer, and other ills, the operations lost favor, but did not completely disappear until the 1940s. By then, tens of thousands of women had received massive doses of radiation from such treatments, mostly to the face. The obvious lesson from that tragic tale is that we need to fully understand a technology before widely deploying it in society. The wisdom is worth revisiting as we leap into the age of nanotechology. There are more than 600 products containing nanotech materials that are already on the market with another three or four products being introduced every week. Nanotech has raced into the field ahead of research into its safety, and that haste may prove to be ill-advised. A study by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN) published in Nature Nanotechnology in May suggests that some forms of carbon nanotubes can be as harmful as asbestos if inhaled in sufficient quantities. Long, thin, multi-walled carbon nanotubes that look like asbestos fibers, behave like asbestos fibers. Another study by biochemists at the University of Calgary points to the potential toxicity of nano-sized, carbon-60 molecules known as “buckyballs.” Computer simulations suggest that carbon-60 molecules are able to permeate and enter animal cell membranes. But the hottest debate revolves around nano-sized silver, the most commonly used nanomaterial so far. At the April meeting of the American Chemical Society, scientists from Arizona State University revealed that anti-odor socks impregnated with silver nano-particles can release silver into the wash water, which then enters the waste stream. Environmental groups say that nano-silver can have toxic effects on aquatic life and on the beneficial bacteria used in wastewater treatment plants. In May, a coalition of such I Prudent Progress groups petitioned the U.S. EPA to ban the sale of more than 200 products using nano-particle silver, including household appliances. It is clear that more research needs to be performed, and at a faster pace, yet an analysis by PEN shows that European nations invest nearly twice as much as the U.S. in research to assess nanotech risks. The need for more study is urgent for three reasons. The most obvious and most important is to avoid harm to humans or the environment. Second, research that clears a specific material as safe can speed its entry into the market and defuse unfounded fears that can stymie innovation. PEN notes that public trust is critical to commercializing cutting-edge technology. As an example, PEN estimates that U.S. farmers lose up to $300 million in annual sales due to the European Union’s ban on genetically modified foods, which Europeans have dubbed“Frankenfoods.” Research also helps identify the optimal paths for progress. Carbon nanotube studies suggest that tube-length and whether they are singlewalled or multi-walled affect potential toxicity — useful information for designing new nano-materials. A complacent few who falsely paint calls for caution as alarmist like to point out that no one has yet been harmed by nanotech. That observation is neither useful nor comforting when one remembers that cases of asbestos-related mesothelioma took 30 to 40 years to appear. The ultimate lesson we can take from the X-ray story is that, while we cannot always eliminate risk, we can manage it. In spite of early misuse, we did not stop using X-rays, we just started using them more wisely, and now mammograms and CT scans are saving countless lives every day. Cuttingedge technology can often seem like a scary new beast. We need not run from it, but we do need to be on top of it. < publishing staff Fern Sheinman Publisher richard J. Babyak Editor larry adams Managing Editor Daryl Delano Economics Editor E’lisa Campbell Production Manager Matt Britcher Art Director (858) 259-4585 sheinmanf@bnpmedia.com (440) 886-1210 babyakr@bnpmedia.com (773) 467-8590 adamsl@bnpmedia.com (508) 746-7986 dhdelano@comcast.net (248) 244-6257 campbelle@bnpmedia.com (248) 486-7800 britcherm@bnpmedia.com circulation Christine a. Baloga (248) 244-8262 Corporate Audience Development Director balogac@bnpmedia.com amy Schuler (920) 231-4932 Group Audience schulera@bnpmedia.com Development Manager alison Illes (248) 244-1730 Corporate Fulfillment Manager Illesa@bnpmedia.com Catherine M. ronan (248) 244-8259 Corporate Audience ronanc@bnpmedia.com Audit Manager robert liska 800-223-2194 List Manager robert.liska@edithroman.com marketing amanda Schmidke Marketing Director Paul Dykstra Trade Show Coordinator (248) 786-1624 schmidkea@bnpmedia.com (248) 786-1609 dykstrap@bnpmedia.com editorial advisory board Mark Skaer, Senior Editor, The News Susan Sutton, Editor, Ceramic Industry roy Sakelson, Editor-in-Chief, Circuitree tom Williams, Publisher/Editor, Quality Magazine Darlene Brezinski, Ph.D., Editor, Paint and Coatings Industry Don Hegland, Editor, Assembly BNP Media Helps People Succeed in Business with Superior Information BNP Media 2401 West Big Beaver Rd., Suite 700, Troy, MI 48084, (248) 362-3700, Fax: (248) 362-0317; www.bnpmedia.com For subscription information or service, please contact Customer Service at: call (847) 763-9534 • Fax: (847) 763-9538 or email: AD@halldata.com APPLIANCE DESIGN (ISSN 1552-5937) is published 12 times annually, monthly, by BNP Media, 2401 W. Big Beaver Rd., Suite 700, Troy, MI 48084-3333. Telephone: (248) 362-3700, Fax: (248) 362-0317. No charge for subscriptions to qualified individuals. Annual rate for subscriptions to nonqualified individuals in the U.S.A.: $140.00 USD. Annual rate for subscriptions to nonqualified individuals in Canada: $175.00 USD (includes GST & postage); all other countries: $190.00 (int’l mail) payable in U.S. funds. Periodicals Postage Paid at Troy, MI and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: APPLIANCE DESIGN, P.O. Box 2148, Skokie, IL 60076. Printed in the U.S.A. Copyright 2008, by BNP Media. GST account: 131263923. Change of address: Send old address label along with new address to APPLIANCE DESIGN, P.O. Box 2148, Skokie, IL 60076. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for product claims and representations. Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608. Send returns (Canada) to Bleuchip International, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON, N6C 6B2. For single copies or back issues, contact Ann Kalb at (248) 244-6499 or KalbA@ bnpmedia.com. Richard Babyak, Editor E-mail: babyakr@bnpmedia.com | HVAC | Majors | Water Processing | Housewares | Commercial Appliances | | Vending | Medical | Lab | Test & Measurement | Lawn & Garden | Electronics | | Computers | Communications | Business Equipment | 4 applianceDESIGN August 2008 www.applianceDESIGN.com http://www.appliancedesign.com http://www.bnpmedia.com http://www.appliancedesign.com

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Appliance Design - August 2008 Contents Editorial Shipments/Forecasts News Watch Plastics Switches Noise & Vibration Control Joining New Products Design Marts Association Report: CEA Advertiser’s Index

Appliance Design - August 2008

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