Transcript Paper - Jefferson Lab

Review of Nanotechnology
Safety
SK Dua & J. Mwaisela-Rose
Risk Management & Environmental Health & Safety
Florida International University
Nanotechnology
• Nanotechnology is the control of matter at the nano
scale to produce new materials, structures, and
devices.
• Multidisciplinary field, involving physics, chemistry,
biology, engineering, and medicine.
• 2015, nanotechnology-related products predicted to
reach $1 Trillion and employ 1 Million workers in US
alone.
• Workers likely to have occupational exposures.
• Nanotechnology will change the nature of almost
every human-made object.
Beneficial Applications
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Medicine
Electronics
Energy Production & Conservation
National Defense & Security
Leisure & Entertainment
Presentation Outline
• Basic introduction and overview:
• Potential beneficial applications of
Nanotechnology
• Potential risks for the exploitation of the
technology
• Occupational Safety issues and
considerations in the application of
nanotechnoloty
Applications (Medical)
• Nanophotonics Medical Applications:
• Organ tagging with nanoparticles May enhance
basic understanding of the behavior of protein
membranes.
• May allow body temperature adjustment to
help with laser therapy, radiation or ultrasound
treatment.
• Nanoparticles can be bound them to specific
organ tissues to provide image contrasting.
• Suitable nanoparticles injected at a tumor site
may allow treatment monitoring and
administeration.
Applications (Medical)…
• Nanoparticles can be targeted to tumors.
• Dr. Lon Wilson, at Rice University
demonstrated that ultrashort carbon nanotubes
will permanently entrap At-211.
• Nanoparticles, can target magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI), nuclear imaging, CT scanning
and ultrasound imaging. Thus, giving far more
complete view of tumor biology
Applications (Medical)…
• Segmented magnetic iron
oxide “nanoworms” and
coated with a polymer can
find and attach to tumors
• Using nanoworms, doctors
may eventually reveal
tumors that are too small
to detect by conventional
methods.
• May carry payloads
targeted to specific
tumors,
Applications (Medical)…
• Nano-bio-chips like
this one made of
silicon (in blue) can
be used to test saliva
for characteristics of
heart disease. The
device is the size of a
credit card and can
produce results in as
little as 15 minutes.
The round objects in back are nanobio-chips microfabricated from
sheets stainless steel, making them
about 100 times cheaper than
silicon.
Applications…
• The new armor material.
• Medicines as
nanoparticles Dentalbonding agents
• Vastly improved lasers
and magnetic disk heads
made by controlling layer
thickness to better than a
nanometer.
• Sunscreens, cosmetics
• Tires, automotive catalyst
supports, ectroconductive
coatings and optical
fibers.
• Explosives detection
devices
Applications…
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Chemical and bio-detectors
New generation of lasers
Nanostructured catalysts.
Nanoparticle reinforced
materials
Molecular sieves
High hardness cutting tools
A new generation of ignition
interlocking devices,
Cheap, high-output solar cells
in lead selenide (PbSe)
nanocrystals by avalanche
effect.
Applications…
• Carbon nanotubes promise
to replace metal entirely in
future automobiles, mobile
electronics, and other
products
• Cleaner, dryer, durable
products – paints, stain and
wrinkle free clothing and
scratch free car wax,
eyewear and other optical
devices.
• Electronics
• Biotech -Bandages
embedded with silver
nanoparticles, drug delivery
patch, man-made skin.
Applications…
• Nano-electromechanical
sensors identify a chemical
warfare agent.
• Nanocomposite energetic
materials with more than twice
the energy output of typical
high explosives.
• Highly efficient materials
(carbon nanotubes packed with
gold and surrounded by lithium
hydride) convert nuclear
radiation directly into electricity
• Iron nanoparticles that can
remove up to 96 percent of a
major contaminant from
groundwater at an industrial
site.
Potential Safety Concerns
• Fire and explosion risk- nanoscale powders,
nanoscale combustible material could present a
higher risk than coarser material with a similar mass
concentration.
• Catalytic reactions - Some nanomaterials may
initiate depending on their composition and structure
• However, processes generating nanomaterials in the
gas phase, or using or producing powders or slurries/
suspensions/ solutions, or that disturb deposited
nanomaterial pose the greatest risk for releasing
nanoparticles.
Exposure Assessment and
Characterization
• Many sampling techniques that are available for
measuring airborne nanoaerosols vary in
complexity but can provide useful information for
evaluating occupational exposures with respect
to:
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particle size,
mass,
surface area,
number concentration,
composition, and
surface properties
Conclusions
• Some studies on the EHS effects of
nanotechnology appear to indicate
that NP have the potential to be
unsafe.
• Nanotechnology may also offer many
benefits for human health and the
environment.
Conclusions
• An emerging body of studies reveals that we are
simply uncertain of effects,
• ESH concerns are lagging far behind application
research.
• However, it would not be prudent to completely
halt nanotech development on EHS grounds,
since nanotechnologies may prove extremely
beneficial to both the environment and human
health in the long term.