신기술의 불확실성과 소비자안전에 대한 고찰：나노기술을 중심으로

Recently, nanomaterials have taken center stage as a new material and are utilized in the various fields of home appliances, hair and beauty products, baby products, cosmetics, and food. Major countries such as USA, EU, and Japan are expanding development investment for promoting the commercialization of nano-technology, and ROK also established the general nano-technology development program and is on the works. Nanomaterials are estimated to have high industrial application possibility because of the attributes of their small size and relatively bigger surface. But there is a controversy about the safety of nano-products because of the potential risk resulting from the attributes of nanomaterials and the uncertainty due to the lack of basic research data and the imperfection of risk assessment system. As a result of the analyses on the consumer products inventory of PEN administered by Woodrow Wilson International Center and the research about the domestic market and distribution of nano-products, this study shows nano-products are internationally on the increase. And it also shows the proportion of health & fitness related products influencing human body directively and the goods of infants and young children vulnerable to hazardous substance is high in the country. As a result of the trend analysis on the major home and foreign nano-safety policies, it shows the regulations such as the pre-market approval of nanomaterials/nano-products or nano-labelling are in the process of materialization and it was also confirmed the level of the domestic regulation action is inadequate. In conclusion, this study intended to propose the need for the precautionary approach, the understanding of distribution conditions, the intensification of monitoring system, the modification of regulatory system for global harmonization, and the introduction of labelling system for the uncertainty resulting from the introduction of new technology.