Berkeley issues nanotechnology material disclosure guidelines - NanoWerk, USA
The City of Berkeley became the first city to attempt to regulate the fast-growing use of nanotechnology in industry. Facilities that produce or handle manufactured nanoscale materials are required to submit a report, incorporating the items listed in document, to the Toxics Management Division (TMD) by June 1, 2007.

The Wild, Wild, Nano West - Red Herring, USA
Berkeley, California, home of leftist politics and aging flower children, is sometimes mocked as a hippie outpost. But the university town has stayed remarkably ahead of the curve, spearheading social movements that society would later embrace—from efforts to end apartheid to keeping coffee organic.
Now, Berkeley has stepped up again. In December, its city council passed an ordinance that requires companies manufacturing nano-sized particles to report their activities to the Toxics Management Division of the city’s Community Environmental Advisory Commission, as required with other chemicals.

Is science engaging with the public on nanotechnology? - NanoWerk, USA
Governments, academics and commercial bodies are all waiting to see if developments in nanotechnology will cause the same uproar as that generated by the biotech industry.
A University of Leicester academic, Professor Rachel Gibson, has been working on a study of the rise and expansion of debate on the nanotechnology issue online...

Nanoparticle penetration of human skin – a double-edged sword - NanoWerk, USA
If nanoparticles are able to penetrate layers of skin for therapeutic purposes, they might equally be able to penetrate skin unintentionally. This raises the question if people, who are exposed to such nanomaterials, could accidentally be contaminated and thus exposed to a potential local and/or systemic health risk. Researchers in Italy now have begun to systematically evaluate both risks and applications of nanoparticle skin absorption.

Fixing Public Misunderstanding - Responsible Nanotechnology, USA
Groups like he US National Nanotechnology Initiative persist in hyping the near-miraculous benefits of the technology while at the same time downplaying any significant risks. They play on public misunderstanding by exploiting dreams of curing disease and wiping out poverty, but then turn around and pretend that such a powerful technology could not also be used for destructive purposes.

Former FDA Official Calls for Increased FDA Nanotech Authority - Nanotechnology Law Report, USA
The April 20, 2007 edition of FDA Week reports that the former deputy commissioner in the FDA's policy office, Michael Taylor, repeated his call for Congress to grant FDA enhanced regulatory authority with respect to products that utilize nanotechnology, particularly cosmetics, dietary supplements, and foods.