ABSTRACT
Known to locals as “Mosi-oa-Tunya”, the 1855 ‘iscovery’of a formidable waterfall in the Zambezi River by Dr David Livingstone represented a significant milestone in history. The since re-labelled “Victoria Falls” - with its awesome force and thick ‘smoke’ - symbolised a new frontier for European explorers. Nanotechnologies are rapidly being incorporated into production processes and products across a range of industry sectors. Despite the economic potential and promised benefits of the technology, there is an increasing body of scientific literature that suggests that some nanomaterials may, by virtue of the novel physico-chemical properties that appear at the nanoscale, pose a risk to human and environmental health under certain conditions. In light of the anticipated economic benefits associated with nanotechnologies across the entire value chain it is unsurprising the European Union has continued to show leadership in its investment in research and development activities.
