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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Sheila Davis, Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, 760 N. First Street, San Jose, CA 95112, 408-287-6707, sdavis@svtc.org

Nanotechnology today bears striking similarities to the microelectronics industry of the 1970's. Like the microelectronics industry, nanotechnology is touted as a clean industry that is expected to solve a wide array of problems in medicine, manufacturing, computer science and energy storage. By 2030 the nanotech industry is predicted to converge with biotechnology and information technology to produce nanomachines that can self replicate, perform cellular functions in the human body, and create new materials by combining non-biological materials with biological materials. Northern California is home to the largest concentration of academic researchers, business start-ups and nonprofit advocacy organizations involved in the emerging fields of nanotechnology and nanoscience. Building on Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition's (SVTC) extensive experience and proven track record on issues of environmental and public health in high-tech and emerging technologies, Ms Davis will provide a comparison between environmental health issues in the microelectronics industry and the manufacturing of nanomaterials in Northern California.

Learning Objectives:

• Similarities between micoelectronic industry community health impacts and the potential health impacts of nanotechnologies.
• Lessons learned from the microelectronics worker health regulatory challenges and how these lessons can be applied to emerging technologies.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No