ABSTRACT
The European Commission, in its action plan for Europe 2005-2009, defined a series of actions for the immediate implementation of a safe, integrated and responsible approach for nanosciences and nanotechnologies. In line with this commitments, it is important to determine the applicabil-
1 INTRODUCTION
In the present decade there has been a rapid emergence of nanotechnology into several consumer products, which has led to concerns as regards the potential risk for human health following consumer exposure. But there is also a concern in terms of occupational safety and health, related to the exposure of workers involved in manufacturing, processing and handling of consumer goods containing nanomaterials. Nanosafety is in fact a growing concern Exposure to engineered nanomaterials has been associated with a number of health effects including pulmonary inflammation, genotoxicity, carcinogenicity and circulatory effects (Savoilainen et al., 2010).
