Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
nanocombs, which are expected to further improve the detection strength
of the devices. Since they are very small, the SSGs can be integrated into
mobile monitoring systems, which can be used at different spatial scales,
thus allowing more precise illustration of temporal and spatial distributions
of the contaminants and the associated human exposure. In addition, the
development of micro- and nanofluidic technologies and their convergence
with immunochemistry made it possible to design minute biochips, which
can analyze water samples for a wide variety of contaminants. Since they
are more advanced and less costly than their conventional counterparts, the
nano-enhanced sensing technologies will be applied on the large scale in the
next 3 to 7 years to contribute to
• Generation of higher-quality data about the human exposure to
contaminants
• More precise identification and quantification of exposure sources
• More precise illustration of temporal and spatial exposure trends
• More reliable monitored data to use for human health risk assessment
The provision of high-quality monitoring data can greatly facilitate the
analysis of the environmental and human health hazards and risks of expo-
sure to contaminants. This kind of analysis can greatly contribute to a more
informed chemical regulation policy and invoke the review of some aspects
of the current health and environmental protection programs.
7.4 Nanotechnology for Environmental
Remediation and Treatment
A major environmental benefit of nanotechnology is the development of
remediation and end-of-pipe treatment alternatives. Environmental reme-
diation involves the removal of contaminants from soils, waters, and sedi-
ments for the sake of human health and environmental protection [22].
End-of-pipe treatment is the removal of contaminants from emissions, most
often through filtration or chemical transformation, before discharge into
the environment.
Substances of significant health concern, which need to be removed from
the environment, include heavy metals (e.g., arsenic, lead, mercury) and
organic compounds (e.g., benzene, chlorinated solvents, creosote, toluene).
Novel nano-based remediation and treatment practices have been developed
in recent years. Some of the advantages they offer over conventional tech-
nologies are better selectivity, higher removal capacity, and lower cost.
