Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
also.are.studying.the.use.of.nanotechnology.to.treat.air.pollution. Finally,.sen-
sors.based.on.nanotechnology.can.detect.some.chemical.contaminants.
Agricultural applications. . Increased. biological. eficiency. could. dimin-
ish. the. amount. of. pesticides. being. applied.. Similarly,. nanodevices. used.
for.“smart”.treatment.delivery.systems.hold.promise..Smart.ield.systems.
detect,.locate,.and.report/apply,.as.needed,.pesticides.and.fertilizers.prior.
to.the.onset.of.symptoms..Nanoparticle.delivery.systems,.including.nano-
capsules,.nanocontainers,.and.nanocages,.could.replace.conventional.emul-
siiable.concentrates,.thus.reducing.organic.solvent.content.in.agricultural.
formulations,. and. enhancing. dispersity,. wettability,. and. the. penetration.
strength.of.the.droplets..Enhanced.use.of.smart.systems.also.could.dimin-
ish.runoff.and.avert.unwanted.movement.of.pesticides.
Medical breakthroughs. . Nanotechnology. is. used. to. create. artiicial. bone.
and.may.be.used.in.other.prosthetic.devices.in.the.future..Researchers.are.
studying. ways. to. use. nanomaterials. in. medical. imaging. and. for. targeted.
drug. delivery.. Probes. based. on. nanotechnology. can. detect. and. monitor.
changes.within.cells.without.destroying.them.
This.range.of.potential.beneits.illustrates.why.so.many.are.excited.about.the.prom-
ise.of.nanotechnology.and.its.potential.economic.importance.
.  Possible Risks and PubliC ConCeRns
The. nanotechnology. revolution. also. can. present. risks.. The. words. of. some. of. the.
stakeholders,.beginning.with.a.prominent.proponent.of.nanotechnology,.illustrate.a.
range.of.views.regarding.potential.risks.
“The.state.of.knowledge.with.respect.to.the.actual.risks.of.nanotechnology.
is.incomplete.”. — United States President's Council of Advisors on Science
and Technology, 2005.[7].
“It.may.be.that.in.most.cases.nanomaterials.will.not.be.of.human.health.or.
ecological.concern..However,.at.this.point.not.enough.information.exists.to.
assess.environmental.exposure.for.most.engineered.nanomaterials.”. — U.S.
EPA, 2007.[8].
“At. present,. the. toxicological. and. ecotoxicological. risks. linked. to. this.
expanding.technology.….cannot.be.assessed.yet..Nanotechnology.is.mov-
ing.increasingly.into.the.center.of.public.attention..However,.currently.it.is.
not.yet.linked.to.any.great.degree.to.concerns.about.health.and.the.environ-
ment..Over.the.next.few.years.this.could.change.if.the.media.increasingly.
will.point.at.components.linked.with.nanotechnology.that.are.harmful.to.
health. or. the. environment. (cf.. also. public. debate. on. genetically. modiied.
organisms. (GMOs)).”. —. Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and
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