Are the nanomaterials and nanoproducts either used in a health-care context or are negative or positive impacts on public health and safety expected?

Healthcare is defined in a broad sense, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, dentistry, cosmeceuticals and other products used in hospitals, at home, and in other locations for improving the health and well-being of people.

Relevant impacts on health include strengthening or infringing on human rights to life and well-being guaranteed in international human rights law, including the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Council of Europe Convention for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, Council of Europe: Convention on human rights and biomedicine (Bioethics or Oviedo Convention, EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, UNESCO Declaration on the human genome and human rights and UNESCO Declaration on bioethics and human rights.

Estimate the magnitude severity of expected ethical health-related risks, between minor (1) and severe (5).

Ethical issues are minor when the health-related impacts are very unlikely, and/or the health of only few people is affected temporarily to a limited extent.

Ethical issues are severe when the health-related impacts are very likely, and/or a large group of people is affected strongly.

Estimate the magnitude of expected health-related benefits, between minor (1) and large (5).

Benefits are minor when the health-related impacts are very unlikely, and/or the health of only few people is benefited temporarily to a limited extent.

Benefits are large when the health-related impacts are very likely, and/or a large group of people is benefited strongly.

Does the application of nanomaterials involve or affect the collection, processing, storing and/or transfer of personal data?

The privacy and data protection risks and benefits are caused by the product in which the nanomaterials are used. Examples include sensors and monitoring devices, data storage devices etc.
Consider whether sensitive personal data are collected relating to health, sexual lifestyle, ethnicity, political opinion, religious or philosophical conviction.

Estimate the severity of expected personal data protection issues, between minor (1) and severe (5).

Ethical issues are minor when the data protection impacts are very unlikely, and/or the privacy of only few people is affected temporarily to a limited extent.

Ethical issues are severe when the data protection impacts are very likely, and/or fundamental human rights of a large group of people are affected strongly.

Estimate the magnitude of expected strengthening of personal data protection, between minor (1) and large (5).

Benefits are minor when the strengthening of data protection is very unlikely, and/or the privacy of only few people is protected temporarily to a limited extent.

Benefits are large when the strengthening of data protection is very likely, and/or protection of fundamental human rights of a large group of people is improved strongly.

Could the value chain and application of nanomaterial have a negative or positive impact on the rights and liberties of individuals and groups?

Consider effects on freedom, autonomy, authenticity, identity, privacy, human dignity, human bodily integrity, intellectual property, among others.

When in doubt, check international human rights law, including the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Council of Europe Convention for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.

Estimate the severity of expected negative impacts on human rights and liberties, between minor (1) and severe (5).

Ethical issues are minor when the impacts on human rights and liberties are very unlikely, and/or these rights are only affected briefly with no significant backlash to the persons affected.

Ethical issues are severe when the impacts on human rights and liberties are very likely, and/or the rights of individuals or groups are affected on a large scale or for a long time.

Estimate the strength of expected positive impacts on human rights and liberties, between minor (1) and large (5).

Benefits are minor when the impacts on human rights and liberties are very unlikely, and/or these rights are only improved briefly with no significant improvement of the human rights of the persons affected.

Benefits are large when the improvements of human rights and liberties are very likely, and/or the rights of individuals or groups are improved on a large scale or for a long time.

Could the value chain and application of nanomaterial have a negative or positive impact in terms of social justice and equality?

Consider effects on the distribution of opportunities, powers and capabilities, civil and political rights, economic resources, income, risks and hazards, and have special consideration for effects on vulnerable, disadvantaged, and under-represented individuals, groups, or communities in society, including future generations and individuals, groups and communities in low income and lower-middle income countries.

Estimate the severity of expected impacts on social justice and equality, between minor (1) and severe (5).

Ethical issues are minor when the impacts on social justice and equality are very unlikely, and/or these rights are only affected briefly with no significant backlash to the communities affected.

Ethical issues are severe when the impacts on social justice and equality are very likely, and/or the social justice and equality are affected on a large scale or for a long time.

Estimate the strength of expected positive impacts on social justice and equality, between minor (1) and large (5).

Benefits are minor when the impacts on social justice and equality are very unlikely, and/or these rights are only improved briefly with no significant improvement of the position of the communities affected.

Benefits are large when the improvement of social justice and equality is very likely, and/or the social justice and equality are improved on a large scale or for a long time.

Could the value chain and application of nanomaterial have a negative or positive impact on the well-being of individuals or groups, and/or on the common good, including cultural heritage?

Estimate the severity of expected negative impacts on well-being and common good, between minor (1) and severe (5).

Ethical issues are minor when the impacts on well-being and common good are very unlikely, and/or well-being and common good are only affected briefly with no significant backlash to the persons and groups affected.

Ethical issues are severe when the impacts on well-being and common good are very likely, and/or well-being and common good are affected on a large scale or for a long time.

Estimate the strength of expected positive impacts on well-being and common good, between minor (1) and large (5).

Benefits are minor when the improvements of well-being and common good are very unlikely, and/or well-being and common good are only benefited briefly with no significant improvement of the position of the persons and groups affected.

Benefits are large when the improvements of well-being and common good are very likely, and/or well-being and common good are improved on a large scale or for a long time.

Could the value chain and application of nanomaterial have a negative or positive impact on the environment, animals and/or plants?

onsider negative impacts due to the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or any biological, chemical, radiological, nuclear or explosive elements used, as well as any effects in terms of human encroachment on natural habitats and environmental policy.
Consider positive effects such as remediation of polluted environments, improvements of biodiversity etc.

Estimate the severity of expected negative environmental impacts, between minor (1) and severe (5).

Ethical issues are minor when the environmental impacts are very unlikely, and/or the environment is only affected temporarily with no significant damage to the ecosystems, animals or plants.

Ethical issues are severe when the environmental impacts are very likely, and/or the ecosystems, animals or plants are damaged on a large scale or for a long time.

Estimate the strength of expected environmental benefits, between minor (1) and large (5).

Benefits are minor when the environmental improvements are very unlikely, and/or the environment is only affected temporarily with no significant improvement of the ecosystems, animals or plants.

Benefits are large when the environmental benefits are very likely, and/or the ecosystems, animals or plants are restored or protected on a large scale or for a long time.

Could the value chain or application of nanomaterial limit or improve the likelihood of achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals?

Check the goals via this link: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/topics/sustainabledevelopmentgoals

Estimate the severity of expected impacts on the sustainable development goals, between minor (1) and severe (5).

Ethical issues are minor when the impacts on the sustainable development goals are very unlikely, and/or these goals are only affected briefly with no significant delays in achieving the goals.

Ethical issues are severe when the impacts on the sustainable development goals are very likely, and/or their achievement is delayed on a large scale or for a long time.

Estimate the strength of expected contributions to the sustainable development goals, between minor (1) and large (5).

Benefits are minor when the impacts on the sustainable development goals are very unlikely, and/or these goals are only achieved briefly with no significant long-term effect on in achieving the goals.

Benefits are large when the positive impacts on the sustainable development goals are very likely, and/or their achievement is consolidated on a large scale or for a long time.

Specify which goals are concerned.

Could the nanomaterial or its application have significant military purposes (dual use)?

Consider, amongst others, any effects in terms of the development of weapons of mass destruction, military surveillance systems and autonomous weapons systems.

When in doubt, check the guidance on dual use ethical issues used by the European Commission in ethics screening of H2020 funded projects: http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/other/hi/guide_research-dual-use_en.pdf

Estimate the severity of ethical concerns due to expected military or dual use potential, between minor (1) and severe (5).

Ethical issues are minor when military or dual use potential is very unlikely, and/or the expected concerns are insignificant.

Ethical issues are severe when the military or dual use potential is very likely, and/or the potential effects are strong or wide-ranging.

Could the nanomaterial or nano-enabled product become subject to misuse?

Consider, amongst others, whether [information about] harmful biological, chemical, radiological, nuclear, or explosive materials, and/or the means of their delivery, can easily [or accidentally] be misused and whether it may easily fall into the hands of terrorists or criminals, and whether it may be abused by governmental and other institutional actors in non-military contexts.

When in doubt, check the guidance on misuse ethical issues used by the European Commission in ethics screening of H2020 funded projects: http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/other/hi/guide_research-misuse_en.pdf

Estimate the severity of expected impacts, between minor (1) and severe (5).

Ethical issues are minor when misuse potential is very unlikely, and/or the expected concerns are insignificant.

Ethical issues are severe when the misuse potential is very likely, and/or the potential effects are strong or wide-ranging.

Collective results

**This work project has received funding from European Union Horizon 2020 Programme (H2020) via RiskGONE project under grant agreement nº 814425