New nano science 'presents toxic risk'

A Government report today called for tough new legislation to curb the development of potentially harmful microscopic chemicals.

The chemicals, known as nano particles, are a million times smaller than a pinhead.

They are already used in sun cream and to make self-cleaning glass and could one day lead to radical new drug treatments.

But the Royal Society report also warned nano particles could be toxic to humans, and called for urgent research and for new controlling legislation to be introduced.

Professor Anne Dowling of Cambridge University, who led the research, said: "Nano particles are all around us. Every time you take a breath in London you are breathing in tens of millions because of the pollution in the air but there is so much we don't know.

"We need to begin research right now."