18
T. K. Barik et al.
Table 1 Comparative discussion about advantages and disadvantages of nanotechnology
Advantages
Disadvantages
Early-stage detection of some diseases
Still at its infancy stage
Reduction of the size of any material, machine
or equipment
More research and developmental work need
to be done
Reduction of the amount of energy and resource Expensive technology till now
Helps to clean up the existing nano-pollution
Creates environmental nano pollution
Able to secure the economy once it can be fully
implemented
It can create social-economic disruption in
society
Applicable and implementable to most of the
applications ever existed
The huge initial cost for implementation
Can alter the basis of technology for human, in
its matured phase
Resistance from a culture perspective,
activists, journalists and even within the
government
Improvement of the therapeutic drug index by
increasing efficacy and/or reducing toxicities
Knowledge limitation from many industries
and misperception among many fields about
its capabilities.
Targeted delivery of drugs in a tissue-, cell- or
organelle-specific manner
The government does not regulate
nanomaterials
Enabling sustained or stimulus-triggered drug
release
Requirement of significant investment and
research but yield is still a limiting factor
More sensitive cancer diagnosis and imaging
Some nanoparticles may be toxic to humans
Better pharmaceutical properties (i.e. stability,
solubility, circulating half-life and tumor
accumulation) of therapeutic molecules
Nanotechnology made weapons are more
powerful and more destructive by increasing
the explosion potential
Provision of new approaches for the
development of synthetic vaccines
Lack of employment in the fields of traditional
farming, manufacturing, and industrial sector
organs. Some nanomaterials kill harmful bacteria within the body, and some kill good
bacteria and live-cells of the human body. Nanoparticles with different substances are
used in SIM cards of cell phones or sunscreens. When these are used, free nanoparticles get released in the environment (air, water, or soil). Engineering fields like civil
and electronics also create new occupational health risks, making new, potentially
toxic nanomaterials. The toxicity of nanoparticles depends on their shape, size, and
chemical composition. Centuries before, Paracelsus quoted, “everything is a poison,
and nothing is a poison, it is only a matter of a dose.” In regards to nanomaterials,
the quotes hold value for both dose and particle size. The new interdisciplinary
investigations explore the potentially harmful effects of these useful NPs and help in
environmental preservation. Owing to a smaller size, the inhalation of nanomaterials
imposes an adverse impact on human health. The inhalation causes severe injury to
the lungs and can also become fatal. The deterioration of lungs can be observed even
after the 60s of nanoparticle inhalation. Therefore, for sustainable nanotechnology
development, it is mandatory to evaluate and spread knowledge about the short term
and long term exposure benefits and hazards for nanomaterials.
T. K. Barik et al.
Table 1 Comparative discussion about advantages and disadvantages of nanotechnology
Advantages
Disadvantages
Early-stage detection of some diseases
Still at its infancy stage
Reduction of the size of any material, machine
or equipment
More research and developmental work need
to be done
Reduction of the amount of energy and resource Expensive technology till now
Helps to clean up the existing nano-pollution
Creates environmental nano pollution
Able to secure the economy once it can be fully
implemented
It can create social-economic disruption in
society
Applicable and implementable to most of the
applications ever existed
The huge initial cost for implementation
Can alter the basis of technology for human, in
its matured phase
Resistance from a culture perspective,
activists, journalists and even within the
government
Improvement of the therapeutic drug index by
increasing efficacy and/or reducing toxicities
Knowledge limitation from many industries
and misperception among many fields about
its capabilities.
Targeted delivery of drugs in a tissue-, cell- or
organelle-specific manner
The government does not regulate
nanomaterials
Enabling sustained or stimulus-triggered drug
release
Requirement of significant investment and
research but yield is still a limiting factor
More sensitive cancer diagnosis and imaging
Some nanoparticles may be toxic to humans
Better pharmaceutical properties (i.e. stability,
solubility, circulating half-life and tumor
accumulation) of therapeutic molecules
Nanotechnology made weapons are more
powerful and more destructive by increasing
the explosion potential
Provision of new approaches for the
development of synthetic vaccines
Lack of employment in the fields of traditional
farming, manufacturing, and industrial sector
organs. Some nanomaterials kill harmful bacteria within the body, and some kill good
bacteria and live-cells of the human body. Nanoparticles with different substances are
used in SIM cards of cell phones or sunscreens. When these are used, free nanoparticles get released in the environment (air, water, or soil). Engineering fields like civil
and electronics also create new occupational health risks, making new, potentially
toxic nanomaterials. The toxicity of nanoparticles depends on their shape, size, and
chemical composition. Centuries before, Paracelsus quoted, “everything is a poison,
and nothing is a poison, it is only a matter of a dose.” In regards to nanomaterials,
the quotes hold value for both dose and particle size. The new interdisciplinary
investigations explore the potentially harmful effects of these useful NPs and help in
environmental preservation. Owing to a smaller size, the inhalation of nanomaterials
imposes an adverse impact on human health. The inhalation causes severe injury to
the lungs and can also become fatal. The deterioration of lungs can be observed even
after the 60s of nanoparticle inhalation. Therefore, for sustainable nanotechnology
development, it is mandatory to evaluate and spread knowledge about the short term
and long term exposure benefits and hazards for nanomaterials.