Printed from the Internet. June 2004. Includes bibliographical references.

Introduction -- Potential benefits of nanotechnology currently under debate -- Energy -- Reduction of energy consumption -- Increasing the efficiency of energy production -- The use of environmentally friendly energy systems -- Recycling of batteries -- Life sciences and health care -- Diagnostics -- Drug delivery -- Tissue engineering -- Automotive industry and mobility -- Environmental aspects -- Safety aspects -- Outlook -- Information and communication -- Top down strategies, how far can we go? -- Novel semiconductor devices -- Novel optoelectronic devices -- Displays -- Quantum computer -- Chemistry and environment -- Production of nanoparticles -- Catalysis -- Filtration -- Consumer goods -- Foods -- Household -- Optics -- Textiles -- Sports -- Cosmetics -- Conclusion -- Energy -- Life sciences and healthcare -- Automotive industry and mobility -- Information and communication -- Chemistry and environment -- Consumer goods -- Potential risks of nanotechnologies -- Initiatives, centres and projects dedicated to risks assessment of nanotechnologies -- Potential impacts of nanotechnologies on health -- Potential risks of nanoparticles -- Size effects -- Shape and composition effects -- Examples of consequences -- Experiments on animals -- Extrapolation to humans -- Potential risks of fullerenes and carbon nanotubes -- Examples of studies on animals -- Experiments on rats and mice -- Experiments on rabbits -- Experiments on fish -- Examples of studies: extrapolation to humans -- Potential risks of other nano-elements -- Potential impacts of nanotechnologies on environment and the food chain -- Consequences of nanotechnologies on environment and the food chain -- Impact of the dispersion of nanosized materials in the environment -- Impact on environment of the adsorption phenomenon on nanosized materials effects of aggregation of nanosized materials on environment -- Biotic uptake of nanomaterials -- Methodologies considered for risks assessment of nanotechnologies on environment -- Measurement of accumulation -- Measurement of viability;mutagenic effects.