Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
28
and Envir
onmental Release via Rational Design
Nathaniel C. Cady and Aaron D. Strickland
CONTENTS
28.1. Introduction......................................................................................................................... 621
28.2. Antimicrobial.Nanomaterials........................................................................................... 622
28.3. Rational.Design.to.Control.Exposure.and.Environmental.Release............................ 623
28.4. Conclusions.and.Perspectives.......................................................................................... 625
References..................................................................................................................................... 625
28.1 Introduction
Metallic.and.metal-oxide-based.nanomaterials.have.emerged.on.the.commercial.market.
en.masse..Products.ranging.from.sunscreen.to.stockings.have.been.doped,.coated,.or.oth-
erwise.adulterated.with.nanoparticles.intended.to.improve.product.functionality,.increase.
activity,.or.in.the.case.of.textiles,.prevent.or.inhibit.microbial.growth.(Anyaogu.et.al..2008,.
Mahapatra.et.al..2008,.Gao,.et.al..2009,.Ren.et.al..2009,.Rafi.et.al..2010)..Unfortunately,.the.
very.attributes.that.make.nanomaterials.beneicial.to.such.products.also.have.the.poten-
tial.to.be.harmful.to.the.environment.(namely.soil,.air,.and.water)..For.instance,.little.is.
known. about. the. long-term. environmental. impact. of. metal-oxide. nanoparticle. release.
from.cosmetics,.sunscreens,.and.other.lotions.(Tiede.et.al..2009,.Brar.et.al..2010,.Pautler.
and.Brenner.2010,.Scown.et.al..2010,.Wiechers.and.Musee.2010,.Bhatt.and.Tripathi.2011,.
Makarucha.et.al..2011,.Teow.et.al..2011)..While.these.materials.may.eventually.be.natu-
rally. degraded. or. decomposed,. their. catalytic. activity. could. linger. in. the. environment..
Metallic.nanomaterials,.which.have.become.pervasive.in.antimicrobial.textiles.and.mate-
rials,.have.the.potential.to.leach.metal.ions.into.the.environment,.or.even.contaminate.the.
user.during.product.use.(Marini.et.al..2007,.Hwang.et.al..2008,.Smetana.et.al..2008,.Chae.
et.al..2009,.Kaegi.et.al..2010,.Miao.et.al..2010)..Since.the.effects.of.nanomaterial.release.into.
the.environment.are.not.well.understood,.alternative.approaches.to.apply.and.immobi-
lize.these.materials.should.be.sought..Here,.we.describe.approaches.that.we.and.others.
have.taken.to.develop.nanomaterial-derived.products.that.resist.nanomaterial.release.or.
component.leaching.
621
