• IEEE Spectrum, Monday, February 13, 2012 10:30 AM

In a survey conducted last month and commissioned by the Australian Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education, 17% of respondents said they would rather risk skin cancer than use sunscreens containing nanoparticles. Studies indicate that sunscreens containing nanoparticles are no riskier than those of traditional sunscreens, yet 440,000 Australians receive medical treatment for skin cancers, and more than 1,700 people die from all types of skin cancer annually, according to the Cancer Council of Australia.

Friends of the Earth have taken one of the three reports from a conference in Australia that some so-called “nano-free” sunscreens actually contained nanoparticles and used that to call for a government intervention.

Read the whole story at IEEE Spectrum »