Researchers Seek to Assess All Aspects of Nanotech Use
By Mary SpIro
S
cientists and engineers have referred to nanotechnology—science at the scale of just a few atoms—as an “enabling technology” with the ability to improve applications in industry, medicine and basic scientific research. Engineered nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and nano-silver, are revolutionizing many commercial technologies and are found in more than 800 products including cosmetics, cell phone batteries, and sporting equipment, as reported by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. According to Nanoparticle News Review, the market for engineered nanomaterials could exceed $27 billion over the next five years. However, the small scale of these materials coupled with their unique physicochemical properties may cause some engineered nanomaterials to pose potential risks to human health and the environment. Nanomaterials exist at a sub-cellular scale, on the order of one-billionth of a meter, allowing some of them to slip through the blood-brain barrier. Nanoparticles also have been detected in rivers and streams and in the tissues of aquatic species. Consequently, intense scientific research is now
6 | Johns Hopkins NanoBio Magazine
