Prof. Zhong Lin Wang of Georgia Tech University holds microfibre nanogenerator composed of a pair of entangled fibres. When rubbed together, they generate an electrical current. (Georgia Tech University/Associated Press)

Canada is poised to become the first government in the world to require companies to provide information about their use of potentially harmful nanomaterials in products, experts say.

The information is to be used to evaluate the risks that these ultra-tiny materials pose to the health of people and the environment.

The move by Canada, expected to be announced next month, would be a significant step for consumer and environmental protection, said Andrew Maynard, chief science adviser for the Washington, D.C.-based Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN).

"People and the environment are being increasingly exposed to new nanomaterials, yet governments lack information on the type, quantity and possible risks of nanoscale materials being manufactured and used in products," Maynard said Wednesday.

"This is information that is vital to ensuring the safe use of nanotechnology."

Officials at PEN said the Canadian government wants companies to supply information on the quantity of engineered nanomaterials they are using, how they are using them, and how toxic they are.

Environment Canada would not comment directly on the organization's claims.

Kilo of nanomaterials will require report

Department officials said the plan is to send out a notice that requires companies and institutions that used more than one kilogram of nanomaterials in 2008 to provide information to the government.

The request could include how nanomaterials are used or managed, data on physical or chemical properties, and any other information that could help Ottawa assess the substances.

"The notice for nanomaterials will gather information that will be used towards the development of a regulatory framework and will target companies and institutions that manufactured or imported a total quantity greater than 1 kg of a nanomaterial during the 2008 calendar year," said an email response from Environment Canada.

Officials said this request for information under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act does not require companies to submit information beyond 2008. However, Ottawa could make similar requests for such information in the future.

800 products contain nanomaterials

It is estimated that more than 800 consumer products containing nanomaterials are being sold around the world.

Scientists say if developed safely, the practice of creating new products by manipulating molecular-sized matter could bolster the economy and improve the quality of life.

The particles are used in everything from anti-bacterial ceiling paint and medical bandages to toothpaste and cosmetics.

But some studies suggest that some nanomaterials can act like cancer-causing asbestos. Some nanoparticles also generate cell activity that can alter DNA.

Last month, federal officials said regulating the safety of such products is a priority and that new policies may be necessary to keep pace with advances in nanotechnologies.

Assess nano risks, report advised

Maynard was a member of an expert panel that submitted a report to Health Canada last July that said Ottawa urgently needs to assess the potential risks of nanomaterials. It also called on the federal government to bolster its regulatory system to deal with them.

Ottawa has yet to respond to that report. Currently, there are no nanomaterial-specific regulations in effect in Canada.

Dr. Pekka Sinervo, former chairman of Canada's expert panel on nanotechnology, said the federal government has been negotiating with private industry for more than a year on how to best regulate nanomaterials.

The challenge is to come up with a system that balances the need to develop nanotechnology while at the same time protecting health and safety.

He said if Canada takes action, it would be a big step forward. "Canada is taking a leadership role in trying to manage responsibly an emerging technology. And that is actually good news," Sinervo said in an interview from Israel.

"The very best thing that could happen is if there is a co-ordinated response internationally. If there isn't, it will be a struggle to get compliance."

Word that Canada plans to take action follows the release of a report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that said a program where companies were asked to voluntarily submit information on nanomaterials wasn't very successful.

Colin Finan, a spokesman with PEN, said there is hope that other countries may follow Canada's lead.

"The problem is in the U.S. we have had a voluntary program that was supposed to provide the government with more data to better understand the risks and there has been very little participation," Finan said.

"This could get the ball rolling on the U.S. doing the same. On Europe. Japan. Any other nation."