C hapTer 11 nanomaterials and nanotechnologies
482
to human health—medicine, drug delivery, and the fundamental question of whether nanomaterials entering the human body
through means such as ingestion or through the skin via the use of
cosmetics can cause deleterious health effects (see Section 11.3). It
was observed that human health undoubtedly can and will benefit
enormously from the use of nanomaterials in medicine and the
general field of treatment, including pharmaceutical applications,
but at the same time it was clear that if wrongly used, health risks
can develop. Certainly it is well known that there are problematic
health effects associated with tiny particulates in the air that are
associated with air pollution, and that nanoparticulates can be even
smaller. Findings of whether deleterious effects occur because of
skin penetration were noted as being less clear. Caution, careful use,
and further testing were advised.
The following sections briefly review anticipated environmental
benefits and risks of nanomaterials. Considerable excitement surrounds the potential of nanomaterials in the remediation of many
environmental problems that affect our society. Many kinds of needs
for environmental remediation technologies exist, but two—air and
water purification—stand out as having particular importance.
Improvements in these areas would help alleviate many of the pressing health problems facing large population segments throughout
the world. Adverse effects associated with pollutants in both water
and environments are widely understood and appreciated by both
the public and the research community. The subject is huge and
well discussed in the literature, so only a broad picture will be
painted here.
We begin by looking at how nanomaterials might play a positive
role in reducing environmental problems at their sources. Next we
briefly look at how nanomaterials can play a role in remediation
and treatment measures, particularly for air, water, and soil. Finally
we look at risks associated with nanomaterial production and use.
reducing environmental impacts:
General source reductions
Enormous amounts of energy are consumed in making and using
products. In addition to depleting many nonrenewable energy
sources, detrimental side effects such as pollution emissions from
the burning of fossil fuels are widely understood. Certainly the many
contributions nanomaterials are either making or poised to make,
with energy sources and systems that were discussed in Section 9.7,
482
to human health—medicine, drug delivery, and the fundamental question of whether nanomaterials entering the human body
through means such as ingestion or through the skin via the use of
cosmetics can cause deleterious health effects (see Section 11.3). It
was observed that human health undoubtedly can and will benefit
enormously from the use of nanomaterials in medicine and the
general field of treatment, including pharmaceutical applications,
but at the same time it was clear that if wrongly used, health risks
can develop. Certainly it is well known that there are problematic
health effects associated with tiny particulates in the air that are
associated with air pollution, and that nanoparticulates can be even
smaller. Findings of whether deleterious effects occur because of
skin penetration were noted as being less clear. Caution, careful use,
and further testing were advised.
The following sections briefly review anticipated environmental
benefits and risks of nanomaterials. Considerable excitement surrounds the potential of nanomaterials in the remediation of many
environmental problems that affect our society. Many kinds of needs
for environmental remediation technologies exist, but two—air and
water purification—stand out as having particular importance.
Improvements in these areas would help alleviate many of the pressing health problems facing large population segments throughout
the world. Adverse effects associated with pollutants in both water
and environments are widely understood and appreciated by both
the public and the research community. The subject is huge and
well discussed in the literature, so only a broad picture will be
painted here.
We begin by looking at how nanomaterials might play a positive
role in reducing environmental problems at their sources. Next we
briefly look at how nanomaterials can play a role in remediation
and treatment measures, particularly for air, water, and soil. Finally
we look at risks associated with nanomaterial production and use.
reducing environmental impacts:
General source reductions
Enormous amounts of energy are consumed in making and using
products. In addition to depleting many nonrenewable energy
sources, detrimental side effects such as pollution emissions from
the burning of fossil fuels are widely understood. Certainly the many
contributions nanomaterials are either making or poised to make,
with energy sources and systems that were discussed in Section 9.7,