Nanotechnology and Defra

Defra’s objective in this area is to protect the environment from any risks associated with nanotechnologies while ensuring that any environmental benefits are realised without imposing undue burdens on business. Nanotechnology has the potential to impact on many areas of our work – nanoparticles could be released into the environment, the technology might be developed to assist in environmental clean-up and future applications might help in the delivery of pesticides, veterinary medicines and in the development of new types of energy cells.

We need to understand more about the impacts of nanotechnology both on humans and on the environment and develop better techniques for the detection and regulation in order to provide effective safeguards for us all. Defra is leading a cross-Government group that will coordinate our research effort in this area.

Regulation

Regulating nanotechnologies is important. While current UK and European regulations are considered to be sufficiently broad and flexible to handle nanotechnologies in their current stage of development, Government is currently reviewing the regulatory status of the products of nanotechnologies. It is likely that we will need to seek to modify European regulations in order to reflect future uses and risks.

www.defra.gov.uk/science

4. Give the synonyms:

For example

to influence

at present

to cut down

ecological problem

aim

significant

range

on purpose

influence

5. Translate from English into Russian:

to be involved

dissolve in water

to shift

coordinate the research

more targeted approach

by design

to provide an incentive,

6. Translate from Russian into English:

проводить электричество

способствовать расширению потенциальных возможностей использования

дополнительные свойства

поглощать ультрафиолетовые лучи

водоочистка

перерабатывать

полупроводник

по сравнению с чем-либо

новые решения экологических проблем.

7. Answer the questions:

1) What is nano?

2) Why is nanotechnology considered to be very important nowadays?

3) How does nanoscience influence the environment?

4) What are current uses of nanotechnology?

5) Why do materials behave differently at the nanoscale?

6) What is your attitude towards nanotechnologies?

7)How can nanoscience the environment?

8) Why is the Government reviewing the regulatory status of the nanoproducts?

(The script, the text and the tasks are taken from: Tech Talk: Better English through Reading in Science and Technology)

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