Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
charge), surface chemistry, photocatalytic activity, pour density, porosity,
octanol-water partition coefficient, redox potential, radical formation poten-
tial (OECD 2012)]. However, many authors and organizations argue that the
quantitative assessment of nanorisks is impossible (Bensaude-Vincent 2009;
IRSST 2008; Aitken et al. 2009; AFSSET 2010) because of the lack of data to
complete the process and the lack of understanding of phenomena occurring
at the nanometric scale, which cause difficulties in all aspects of risk analysis,
notably at the risk evaluation stage. It is true that the bulk of funds dedicated
to research in the field are allocated to development and that financial support
for the analysis of the impacts and issues is minute in comparison, so much so
that it becomes difficult to conclude with any precision on the nature, types,
and levels of risks. The absence of independent, in-depth, and contradictory
expertise should be noted (e.g., lifespan exposure studies on animals), as well
as the failure to take into account the many impacts and issues that may arise
within the complex socioeconomic, political, cultural, and ecological spheres
(e.g., nanopesticides and bees), such studies should be requisitioned in the
broader structure of scientific and social assessment of nanotechnologies.
In light of some of the major hurdles only just exposed here, proceeding
with rigorous risk analysis demands the development of new models for
apprehending the impacts associated with nanofood applications. A broader
net must be cast, one that takes into account the socioeconomic factors, as
well as the impacts of current methods of evaluation and commercializa-
tion on public health and environment, as opposed to evaluating one specific
nanofood application at a time.
6.5 Nanofood's Potential Impacts
Generally speaking, the presence of synthetic nanoparticles (intentionally
created) in foods; in food manipulation and preparation; and in their acci-
dental or voluntary discarding into air, soil, and water, present certain risks.
These “nano”-related risks are bound to evolve during the life cycle stages
of the products that contain them (Williams et al. 2010), indeed through the
whole of the food chain (Holbrook et al. 2008; Bouldin et al. 2008; Zhu et al.
2010; Judy et al. 2011; Cedervall et al. 2012), and this must be taken into account
in order to protect workers in this field as well as the general population and
more globally biodiversity (CEST 2006). Toxicological data has indicated, for
many years already, that certain nanoparticles can cross natural biological
barriers such as the skin, the blood-brain barrier, the lungs, the intestines,
and the placental barrier (Oberdörster et al. 2005). In animals, many toxic
effects have been demonstrated for certain nanoparticles at multiple organ
levels (heart, lungs, kidneys, reproductive system) as well as some genotoxic-
ity and cytotoxicity (IRSST 2008).
