Nanotechnology Presents Significant Risk to Health and the Environment

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Nanotechnology presents significant risk to health and the environment. Discuss.

Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology is considered a new technology and it has a wide field of applications for example, medicine, industrial, and energy application. Being a new technology we don’t know much of the risks and safety of its applications. In this paper I will be discussing three fields, medicine, industrial, and energy nanotechnology and the potential risks they hold. Because they’re recent, the applications of nanotechnology may concern some people regarding the safety of its usage and the risks it holds to health and the environment.

Nanotechnology is a division of technology, science, and engineering that is conducted at the Nano scale, about less than 100 nanometers. Scientists have been trying through research and experiments, from the start of the nanotechnology invention, to employ it in various fields, since it has a small scale which gives the possibility for more efficiency and less material. The outcome of all the research is that nanotechnology nowadays is involved in many fields like the making of food and consumer good, drug delivery, reduction of energy consumption, and many more.

The field that benefited the most from the usage of nanotechnology is the medicine field. Nanoparticles are used in the delivery of drugs to certain cells; this helps a lot with fighting cancer cells and getting to research them more. Researches to develop drug delivery are continuing and the goals are faster, safer, and more accurate drug targeting. [1] Cell repair is another application of Nanomedicine; Nano robots are programmed to heal specified cells operating in a way such as the human natural procedure. [2] The research to create more ...

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..., Peter Andrews, and M. C. Nagel. "Do the potential dangers of nanotechnology to society outweigh the potential benefits." Science in Dispute. Ed. Neil Schlager. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2002. 86 -92. Global Issues In Context. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.

[5] Hook, C. "Nanotechnology." Encyclopedia of Bioethics. Ed. Stephen Post. 3rd ed. Vol. 4. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2004. 1871 - 1875. Global Issues In Context. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.

[6] Preining O. The physical nature of very, very small particles and its impact on their behavious. J Aerosol Sci 5/6, 481 - 495, 1998.

[7] MURA,S.,CARTA,D.,ROGGERO,P.P.,CHELI,V.,GREPPI,G.F, Italian Journal of Food Science. 2014, Vol. 26 Issue 1, p91 – 102. 12p.

[8] Grobe, A., Jaeger, A., Riede, M., Schetula, V., Veller, M. and Zimmer, R., Expert Delphi Survey on Nanotechnologies in Food, Cosmetics and Consumer Goods, Berlin 2007.

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