Review of Nanotechnology Safety

SK Dua & J. Mwaisela-Rose Risk Management & Environmental Health & Safety

Florida International University

Nanotechnology

• Nanotechnology is the control of matter at the nano scale to produce new materials, structures, and devices.

• Multidisciplinary field, involving physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, and medicine.

• 2015, nanotechnology-related products predicted to reach $1 Trillion and employ 1 Million workers in US alone.

• Workers likely to have occupational exposures.• Nanotechnology will change the nature of almost

every human-made object.

Beneficial Applications

• Medicine• Electronics• Energy Production & Conservation• National Defense & Security• Leisure & Entertainment

Presentation Outline

• Basic introduction and overview:• Potential beneficial applications of

Nanotechnology• Potential risks for the exploitation of the

technology• Occupational Safety issues and

considerations in the application of nanotechnoloty

Applications (Medical)• Nanophotonics Medical Applications:

• Organ tagging with nanoparticles May enhance basic understanding of the behavior of protein membranes.

• May allow body temperature adjustment to help with laser therapy, radiation or ultrasound treatment.

• Nanoparticles can be bound them to specific organ tissues to provide image contrasting.

• Suitable nanoparticles injected at a tumor site may allow treatment monitoring and administeration.

Applications (Medical)…

• Nanoparticles can be targeted to tumors. • Dr. Lon Wilson, at Rice University

demonstrated that ultrashort carbon nanotubes will permanently entrap At-211.

• Nanoparticles, can target magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear imaging, CT scanning and ultrasound imaging. Thus, giving far more complete view of tumor biology

Applications (Medical)…

• Segmented magnetic iron oxide “nanoworms” and coated with a polymer can find and attach to tumors

• Using nanoworms, doctors may eventually reveal tumors that are too small to detect by conventional methods.

• May carry payloads targeted to specific tumors,

Applications (Medical)…

• Nano-bio-chips like this one made of silicon (in blue) can be used to test saliva for characteristics of heart disease. The device is the size of a credit card and can produce results in as little as 15 minutes.

The round objects in back are nano-bio-chips microfabricated from sheets stainless steel, making them about 100 times cheaper than silicon.

Applications…• The new armor material. • Medicines as

nanoparticles Dental-bonding agents

• Vastly improved lasers and magnetic disk heads made by controlling layer thickness to better than a nanometer.

• Sunscreens, cosmetics• Tires, automotive catalyst

supports, ectroconductive coatings and optical fibers.

• Explosives detection devices

Applications…• Chemical and bio-detectors • New generation of lasers • Nanostructured catalysts. • Nanoparticle reinforced

materials • Molecular sieves • High hardness cutting tools• A new generation of ignition

interlocking devices, • Cheap, high-output solar cells

in lead selenide (PbSe) nanocrystals by avalanche effect.

Applications…• Carbon nanotubes promise

to replace metal entirely in future automobiles, mobile electronics, and other products

• Cleaner, dryer, durable products – paints, stain and wrinkle free clothing and scratch free car wax, eyewear and other optical devices.

• Electronics • Biotech -Bandages

embedded with silver nanoparticles, drug delivery patch, man-made skin.

Applications…• Nano-electromechanical

sensors identify a chemical warfare agent.

• Nanocomposite energetic materials with more than twice the energy output of typical high explosives.

• Highly efficient materials (carbon nanotubes packed with gold and surrounded by lithium hydride) convert nuclear radiation directly into electricity

• Iron nanoparticles that can remove up to 96 percent of a major contaminant from groundwater at an industrial site.

Potential Safety Concerns

• Fire and explosion risk- nanoscale powders, nanoscale combustible material could present a higher risk than coarser material with a similar mass concentration.

• Catalytic reactions - Some nanomaterials may initiate depending on their composition and structure

• However, processes generating nanomaterials in the gas phase, or using or producing powders or slurries/ suspensions/ solutions, or that disturb deposited nanomaterial pose the greatest risk for releasing nanoparticles.

Exposure Assessment and Characterization

• Many sampling techniques that are available for measuring airborne nanoaerosols vary in complexity but can provide useful information for evaluating occupational exposures with respect to:– particle size, – mass, – surface area, – number concentration, – composition, and – surface properties

Conclusions

• Some studies on the EHS effects of nanotechnology appear to indicate that NP have the potential to be unsafe.

• Nanotechnology may also offer many benefits for human health and the environment.

Conclusions

• An emerging body of studies reveals that we are simply uncertain of effects,

• ESH concerns are lagging far behind application research.

• However, it would not be prudent to completely halt nanotech development on EHS grounds, since nanotechnologies may prove extremely beneficial to both the environment and human health in the long term.