I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY Doubt they would spend all this money and set up such a complicated project if the Nanotubes themselves poised any significant risk to humans or the environment.

Let's not make such categorical "long as no"... that is an unrealistic expectation... and we're years and years away from mass deployment, so until then I'm sure all concerns will be taken into consideration whence the production stage is reached.

Carbon based nanofilters is nothing new in water cleaning for both chemical and biological cleansing. Just Google... Stanford has one out that is 40000 times more efficient, but it still needs electricity. We want one that works by simply poring water in from the top and it coming out clean at the bottom,... no pumping pressure, less mechanical stress. To think that the catalytic converted under our car is now 13 years old, each year emissions are tested and still way better than the Mot prescribed levels... with which I'm saying that durability will be high on the agenda and the Industry has the ability to produce those. Not that we need to go out every week to Wall-mart to get a new one.

From Germany... yes, FKK followers need lots of sunblock cream and many that are loaded with nano-particles that penetrate the skin... been on the market for several decades. No one has sprung up yet.

Just wonder where that permanent assumption of 'scientists are idiots' comes from. Who feeds that?

TheJogi: I support your post. I asked myself that question. All this should be evaluated and I hope the scientists take all sides into consideration. As mention in the Wikipedia article that what are of concern is that the industry is running towards the market without good enough regulations and tests. However, I think other products with nanotechnology might pose more risks. On another note this project is promising and have enormous potential for over a billion people. I'm more optimist on NBIC (nano-bio-info-cogno) than pessimist.

Now that makes big sense! (but lets not throw the child out with the bathwater). Found some articles that though there needs to be more research, low quantities seem to be well processed by the body... carbon is not exactly a foreign substance... and its not something we inhale like white asbestos.

Carbon nanotubes seem to be a very strong material. I'm pretty sure the researchers will test under what pressure parts of carbon nanotubes break off into the water.