Progress on the development of nanotechnology has led to a number of initiatives which serve to normalize activities in this area. Among emerging technologies, nanotechnology is one of the most prominent, and it raises high expectations in a wide range of areas affecting daily life. The risks to human health, the pathways of exposure to nanomaterials, and occupational safety are recent issues which require more attention. The study was performed on nanopatents by collecting, processing and analyzing information extracted from specialized patent databases covering the period from 1991 to 2011, totalling 1,343 patents and representing 36 countries. These patents were classified by the International Patent Classification, using the methodology proposed in a study published by Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, which resulted in six groups of patents, distributed as follows: nanomaterials (40.3 %), medicine and biotechnology (26.6 %), measurement and production (10 %), electronics (2.7 %), energy and the environment (2.2 %), and optical electronics (1 %). Around 17 % of the patents in question did not fall into the adopted classification. The aim of this paper is to analyze the main trends of patenting related to nanotechnology, its development and environmental implications. An additional goal is to assist policy-makers to adjust the regulatory framework on nanotechnology, and to make recommendations for governments, industry, and national organizations, on creating specific subsidies for regulatory framework in Brazil.