NATO is sponsoring a multi-day nanoconference in Faro, Portugal on April 27-30, 2008 -- "Nanomaterials: Environmental Risks and Benefits and Emerging Consumer Products."

According to the conference website, the workshop has five primary purposes:

1. Identify and describe what is known about the risks and approaches to assess the safety and environmental risks of nanomaterials.

2. Outline environmental applications in the context of emerging consumer products, pollution prevention, risk reduction, and remediation.

3. Assess the suitability of multicriteria decision analysis for reconciliation of benefits and risks of nanotechnology.

4. Direct future research in nanomaterial and environmental sciences to address the emerging issues associated with nanotechnology in general and specifically with emerging nano-enabled consumer products.

5. Identify strategies for users in developing countries to best manage this emerging technology and its associated risks.

Conference sponsors include: NATO, Society for Risk Analysis (SRA), US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, International Copper Association, US Environmental Protection Agency, International Council on Nanotechnology, European Nanotechnology Trade Alliance, and Faculty from the University of Algarve.