Nanotechnology Safety and Ethics Are a Major Concern

From the earliest days of nanotech, there have been concerns about the effect that this technology could have on health and the environment. For example, critics have dreamed up the possibility of a “gray goo” made of self-replicating nano-robots that would destroy everything in their path and eventually cover the entire earth. Realistic and more present concerns involve the impact that ultra-stable and minute particles such as buckyballs could have on the environment by acting as pollutants or toxins. Very little is known about the properties of nanoparticles and how the particles would interact with living organisms. What happens when we scale up production of these materials and they become a sizable presence in factories and dump sites, or are released into the water and air?

Early studies that inspire concern have been conducted at DuPont Haskell Laboratory, Duke University and Rice University. For example, a researcher at Duke University found that exposure to fullerenes can damage brain cells in fish by increasing a process called peroxidation. A study of human cell cultures exposed to fullerenes at Rice University found similar damage as that seen in the study of fish.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

Become a Plunkett Research Online subscriber to gain unlimited access to our massive amount of vital industry data and market research.

✔ 100,000 Industry Statistics
✔ 500 Industries Analyzed for Market Size, Profits and Forecasts
✔ 150,000 Industry Executives Profiled
✔ 25,000 Companies Profiled, Ranked and Analyzed
✔ 1,000 Vital Trends Analyzed, totaling 1,000,000 words

Learn More

Nanotechnology Safety and Ethics Are a Major Concern, Business and Industry Trends Analysis

A Representative List of Organizations that Have Used our Research and Products:

How to access Plunkett Research data.

What data challenge can we help you solve today?

Take a Tour

Contact

Testimonials