 |
|
Nanoparticle exposures happen, says expert
October 12, 2007In new blog and article, scientist tackles nanotechnology health and safety issues
WASHINGTON, DC - Some nanotechnology fanciers suggest that, like proverbial birds of a feather, engineered nanoscale materials will flock - or clump - together. This tendency, they maintain, should reduce or eliminate risks as nanotechnology manufacturing increases and the number of nanotechnology-enabled products grows.
Think again, cautions nanoparticle expert Andrew Maynard, chief science advisor to the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, in a new article written for the United Kingdom's SAFENANO Initiative. Drawing on available scientific knowledge, Maynard disputes the claim that the so-called agglomeration of engineered nanomaterials will result in "super-sized" clusters so large that they cannot penetrate deep inside the body, thereby eliminating the potential for harm.
"Will people really be exposed to engineered nanomaterials"" Maynard writes. "Despite protestations to the contrary, the science says, yes. There is certainly no reason to believe that exposures will not occur to both individual nanoparticles and agglomerates of nanoparticles that present a nano-specific risk." The article - "Is Engineered Nanomaterial Exposure a Myth"" - can be found at the SAFENANO website at: http://www.safenano.org/
Maynard points out that, in addition to addressing questions about exposure, resolving concerns about potential health risks of nanotechnology also will require better understanding of the toxicity of nanomaterials - whether specific types of the materials are harmful or benign. The article is accompanied by the inaugural entry in Maynard's new blog on the SAFENANO Initiative website at: http://community.safenano.org/Blogs/.
Both examine the current state of the science needed to answer questions about the potential environmental, health, and safety risks posed by nanotechnology - so that the benefits can be maximized. "Clearly, exposure to these materials will occur," Maynard explains in his blog entry. "The challenge we face is surely to snap out of denial, and start to ask what the nature of the exposures will be, and whether they will lead to harm."
Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies
"Will people really be exposed to engineered nanomaterials"" Maynard writes. "Despite protestations to the contrary, the science says, yes. There is certainly no reason to believe that exposures will not occur to both individual nanoparticles and agglomerates of nanoparticles that present a nano-specific risk." The article - "Is Engineered Nanomaterial Exposure a Myth"" - can be found at the SAFENANO website at: http://www.safenano.org/
Maynard points out that, in addition to addressing questions about exposure, resolving concerns about potential health risks of nanotechnology also will require better understanding of the toxicity of nanomaterials - whether specific types of the materials are harmful or benign. The article is accompanied by the inaugural entry in Maynard's new blog on the SAFENANO Initiative website at: http://community.safenano.org/Blogs/.
Both examine the current state of the science needed to answer questions about the potential environmental, health, and safety risks posed by nanotechnology - so that the benefits can be maximized. "Clearly, exposure to these materials will occur," Maynard explains in his blog entry. "The challenge we face is surely to snap out of denial, and start to ask what the nature of the exposures will be, and whether they will lead to harm."
Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies
Nanotechnology Current Events and Nanotechnology News RSSStudy shows direct link between leptin and obesity-related cardiovascular disease
Obese people who don't have high cholesterol or diabetes might think they're healthy - despite the extra pounds.
Researchers discover method for mass production of nanomaterial graphene
Graphene is a perfect example of the wonders of nanotechnology, in which common substances are scaled down to an atomic level to uncover new and exciting possibilities.
New small-scale generator produces alternating current by stretching zinc oxide wires
Researchers have developed a new type of small-scale electric power generator able to produce alternating current through the cyclical stretching and releasing of zinc oxide wires encapsulated in a flexible plastic substrate with two ends bonded.
Just Scratching the Surface: New Technique Maps Nanomaterials as They Grow
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a measurement technique that will help scientists and companies map nanomaterials as they grow.
Denser computer chips possible with plasmonic lenses that 'fly'
Engineers at the University of California, Berkeley, are reporting a new way of creating computer chips that could revitalize optical lithography, a patterning technique that dominates modern integrated circuits manufacturing.
McMaster University unveils world's most advanced microscope
The most advanced and powerful electron microscope on the planet-capable of unprecedented resolution-has been installed in the new Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy at McMaster University.
New research field promises radical advances in optical technologies
A new research field called transformation optics may usher in a host of radical advances including a cloak of invisibility and ultra-powerful microscopes and computers by harnessing nanotechnology and "metamaterials."
Researchers write protein nanoarrays using a fountain pen and electric fields
Nanotechnology offers unique opportunities to advance the life sciences by facilitating the delivery, manipulation and observation of biological materials with unprecedented resolution.
Nanotechnology boosts war on superbugs
This week Nature Nanotechnology journal (October 12th) reveals how scientists from the London Centre for Nanotechnology (LCN) at UCL are using a novel nanomechanical approach to investigate the workings of vancomycin, one of the few antibiotics that can be used to combat increasingly resistant infections such as MRSA.
Nanoscopic screening process to speed drug discovery
Researchers at Wake Forest University are using nanotechnology to search for new cancer-fighting drugs through a process that could be up to 10,000 times faster than current methods.
More Nanotechnology Current Events and Nanotechnology News Articles
 | Nanotechnology For Dummies (For Dummies (Math & Science)) by Richard D. Booker, Earl Boysen This title demystifies the topic for investors, business executives, and anyone interested in how molecule-sized machines and processes can transform our lives. Along with dispelling common myths, it covers nanotechnology's origins, how it will affect various industries, and the limitations it can overcome. This handy book also presents numerous applications such as scratch-proof glass, corrosion... |
 | Understanding Nanotechnology by Scientific American, editors at Scientific American Everyone today knows what technology is, but what is nanotechnology? Taken from the Greek, nano means 'one billionth part of' a whole. In modern parlance, it means very, very small. Nano-tech is the next step after miniaturization. Mobile phones are miniaturized versions of traditional landline phones. Watches are miniature clocks. Desktop computers are miniature versions of the original analogue... |
 | Nanotechnology: A Gentle Introduction to the Next Big Idea by Mark A. Ratner, Daniel Ratner This book is the technical and business overview of tomorrow's scientific breakthrough. The authors survey the scientific research and business aspects of the field, try to explain the key concepts, provide a look at current developments, and give some thoughts on where nanotechnology is likely to go in the next few years. The book will be approachable and witty, with lots of illustrations and... |
 | Nanotechnology Demystified by Linda Williams, Wade Adams Get up to speed on nanotechnology and the many biological, chemical, physical, environmental, and political aspects of this developing... |
 | Nanotechnology: Science, Innovation, and Opportunity by Lynn E. Foster Inside the Emerging Multibillion-Dollar Nanotechnology Industry Suddenly, nanotechnology isn't science fiction or mere theory: It's becoming one of the world's fastest-growing, highest-impact industries. In Nanotechnology: Science, Innovation, and Opportunity, the field's leading experts offer an up-to-the-minute briefing on where the industry stands now, how it will unfold over the coming... |
 | Engines of Creation: The Coming Era of Nanotechnology by Eric Drexler This brilliant work heralds the new age of nanotechnology, which will give us thorough and inexpensive control of the structure of matter. Drexler examines the enormous implications of these developments for medicine, the economy, and the environment, and makes astounding yet well-founded projections for the... |
 | Nanotechnology Applications for Clean Water (Micro & Nano Technologies) (Micro & Nano Technologies) The World Health Organization in 2004 estimated that 1.1 billion people did not have access to clean water and that 35% of deaths in developing nations were related to water-borne illnesses. These are among the many challenges that today face the scientific community and governments to provide clean drinking water, remediate polluted waterways and aquifers, and prevent the pollution of water... |
 | Nanophysics and Nanotechnology: An Introduction to Modern Concepts in Nanoscience (Physics Textbook) by Edward L. Wolf With the second edition of his highly successful textbook 'Nanophysics and Nanotechnology', the author has once more provided a unique, self-contained introduction to the physical concepts, techniques and applications of nanoscale systems by covering its entire spectrum from the latest examples right up to single-electron and molecular electronics. The book is basically at the level of an upper... |
 | Investing in Nanotechnology: Think Small. Win Big by Jack Uldrich Although nanotechnology deals with the very small - the art and science of manipulating and rearranging molecules to create useful materials, devices and systems - its impact on business will be revolutionary. Within a decade, nanotech is expected be the basis of $1 trillion worth of products in the USA alone and will create anywhere from 800,000 to 2 million jobs. This groundbreaking book... |
 | Nanotechnology: The Business (Perspectives in Nanotechnology) by Michael T. Burke For the new nanotechnology entrepreneur, starting up a venture requires concise navigation through a sea of developmental red tape. This predicament is true of any startup, nano or not, but is particularly exacerbated by the fact that nanotechnology is a new and potentially disruptive technology. The book presents an in-depth discussion of available corporate structures, delineating the... |
| © 2008 BrightSurf.com |