Safety issues relating to nanomaterials for construction applications - Nanotechnology in Eco-efficient Construction - page 150

at the design stage without actually having to test the material in the labora-
tory. Liu et al . have succeeded in generating such a nano-SAR for metal
oxides. A set of 14 descriptors for MNMs was used in order to correlate the
toxicity of a set of nine metal oxide MNMs on BEAS-2B lung epithelial cells
measured as membrane degradation in a high content screening assay using
propidium iodide. The best-performing nano-SAR model resulted in a 100%
classifi cation accuracy. This model was based on three descriptors: atomiza-
tion energy of the metal oxide, period of the nanoparticle metal, and
nanoparticle primary size, in addition to nanoparticle volume fraction (in
solution). While the sample library of MNM was very small, the results are
very encouraging and we may hope that the integration of much larger
datasets will eventually yield universal design rules for green MNMs.
The nano revolution has tremendous potential to address some of the
world's most pressing needs and it is our obligation to implement this dis-
ruptive technology safely. High throughput screening will play a decisive
role, as it is the only technology which enables us to test a multitude of
nanomaterials in various doses, time points and assay systems in a very short
period at a reasonable cost. The necessary HTS infrastructure is accessible
at centers such as the Molecular Screening Shared Resource (MSSR),
which is part of the NSF/EPA sponsored multi-disciplinary University of
California Center for the Environmental Impact of Nanotechnology (UC-
CEIN) at the University of California, Los Angeles.
To work toward creating safe nanomaterials, it is important to coordinate
research on nanotoxicology and cooperate on the development of new
nanotechnology materials and applications. Rather than working indepen-
dently, these areas must be closely collaborative to begin identifying health
hazards during the developmental phase before new nanomaterials are
used commercially. This research network will also facilitate the creation of
nanomaterials with fewer environmental and health impacts and ways to
better maintain their stability throughout their lifecycle. The future of the
nanotechnology revolution and 'green' construction lies in the ability to
understand potential hazards and mitigate these hazards before use. The
answer is in a tightly cooperative network of researchers equally interested
in advancing nanotechnology applications and the associated health
concerns.

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7.6 References

Abraham, V. C., Towne, D. L., Waring, J. F., Warrior, U. & Burns, D. J. (2008) Applica-
tion of a high-content multiparameter cytotoxicity assay to prioritize compounds
based on toxicity potential in humans. J Biomol Screen , 13, 527-537.
Alvarez, P. J. J., Lee, J. & Mahendra, S. (2010) Nanomaterials in the construction
industry: a review of their applications and environmental health and safety con-
siderations. ACS Nano , 4, 3580-3590.