Nanomaterials: A Future Concern

Abstract

Nanomaterials are materials that are made from particles devised at nanoscale. These
nanomaterials may have many benefits in various areas like science, engineering and technology. But in the
limelight of benefits the potential risks posed by these nanomaterials should not be overlooked. A substantial
risk assessment procedure should be developed, especially in developing countries where the potential
hazards are overlooked and the policies are made only after enormous harm has been done to the health and
environment. Nanotechnology is considered as the next revolution after Information Technology. It involves
the manipulation of materials and the creation of structures and systems at the scale of atoms and molecules,
the nanoscale. The properties and effects of nanoscale particles and materials differ significantly from larger
particles of the same chemical composition. It is too premature to say that the environmental and social costs
of nanotechnology will outweigh its many benefits until the substantial harms are proved. Till date no clear
guidelines are established regarding production and use of nanomaterials. The benefits of these materials
are already established but the unknown risks are not accounted for. The clouds of uncertainty cause skeptics
the major concern regarding the use of nanomaterials. The health and environmental risks posed by
Nanomaterials cannot be assessed easily as they have diverse properties and behaviour. The kinetic
(absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion) and toxic properties are influenced by the size, shape
and charge of these materials and therefore even nanomaterials of the same chemical composition with
different sizes or shapes may have vastly different toxicity. Hence,particle size alone is not a good criteria for
differentiating between more or less hazardous materials and technologies. Until we have a much more
comprehensive understanding of the biological behaviour of nanomaterials, it is impossible to predict the
toxicity risks associated with any one material, and each new nanomaterial must be subject to new health
and safety assessment prior to its commercial use.