Journal of Industrial Ecology
Call for Papers:
Special Issue on
Nanotechnology
and Industrial Ecology
Deadline:
March 1, 2007
Nanotechnology is the manipulation of atoms,
molecules, and materials with dimensions between 1 and 100 nm. Nanoparticles
are characterized by properties which differ from those of the bulk material
and depend on size, shape and surface condition. Control of properties
at the nanoscale offers opportunities to
use materials and energy more efficiently and reduce waste and pollution.
As a result, nanotechnology has the potential to provide more appealing
products while also improving environmental performance and sustainability.
However, a technological push towards greater investment in nanotechnology
without a commensurate consideration of the possible health and environmental
impacts of this new technology could lead to new (and sometimes unforeseen)
impacts or to cases where the nanotechnology substitute is inferior to
the product or process replaced when evaluated over its full life cycle.
Efforts have been initiated to develop a fundamental understanding of the
behavior of engineered nanoparticles in
natural systems and their influence on biological systems. This understanding
should eventually improve the ability to evaluate the environmental and
health effects of these materials, but there are still many gaps and uncertainties
in our scientific understanding of behavior at the nanoscale.
A holistic industrial ecology perspective is needed to provide a complete
picture of the resource use and potential environmental impacts associated
with the full life cycle of nanotechnology-based goods and services, and
should reveal products and applications where a precautionary approach
is needed.
Suggested Topics for the Special
Issue
The goal of this special issue is to
examine the environmental and human health implications – positive and
negative – of current and potential applications of nanotechnology.
Papers that utilize established industrial ecology tools to analyze the
impacts of nanotechnology are particularly welcome. Appropriate topics
include, but are not limited to:
-
Life cycle assessment of nanotechnology-based
products,
-
Materials/substance flow analysis
of nanomaterials,
-
Development of life cycle impact
assessment categories and characterization factors for nanoparticles,
-
Application of green nanotechnology
(e.g. efficient energy conversion devices, green chemistry, green processing,
green manufacturing, etc),
-
End of life management for nanomaterials
and nanoengineered products,
-
Informing nanotechnology policy with
industrial ecology, and
-
Development of nanotechnologies to
address critical environmental issues and natural resource constraints.
Reviews of relevant recent books
and reports, including policy documents, are also sought to enrich the
special issue. Reviews of web sites and electronic services will be considered.
Ancillary data relevant to articles
can be posted on the journal's web site in the form of e-supplements.
Industrial Ecology
Industrial
ecology is an emerging field that examines local, regional, and global
uses and flows of materials and energy in products, processes, industrial
sectors and economies. It focuses on the potential role of industry in
reducing environmental burdens throughout the product life cycle and encompasses:
-
material and energy flow studies
("industrial metabolism"),
-
dematerialization and decarbonization,
-
technological change and the environment,
-
life-cycle planning, design and assessment,
-
design for the environment,
-
extended producer responsibility
("product stewardship"),
-
eco-industrial parks ("industrial
symbiosis"),
-
product-oriented environmental policy,
and
-
eco-efficiency.
How to Submit
Manuscripts
should be original, previously unpublished, in English, and between 3,500
and 6,500 words in length. Submission implies that the manuscript has not
been submitted for publication elsewhere and
that it will not be submitted elsewhere while the review process is underway.
Papers should be submitted electronically (as email file attachments) to
<indecol@yale.edu>. There are no special formatting requirements at
this stage in the process, but please use a well known file type (MS Word,
WordPerfect, PDF, RTF) and put all text, tables and figures into one file.
More details about the preparation of the manuscript can be obtained from
the Editor or from the Journal's web page <www.mitpressjournals.org/jie>.
Send inquiries and submissions
to:
Reid Lifset
Editor, Journal of Industrial Ecology
Yale University
School of Forestry & Environmental
Studies
205 Prospect Street
New Haven, CT, 06511-2189 USA
indecol@yale.edu
www.mitpressjournals.org/jie
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Last
Updated by N. Gordon, October 30, 2006