CHALLENGES B MANASA

OF D TEJASWI NAIDU
MD JAVED
NANOTECHNOLOGY
• There are indications that nanotechnology has the power to repair the brain.
• Nanoengineered materials have witnessed extensive application in pollution
control, purification and desalination of water and in effective waste
management of hazardous by-products.
• Nanomaterials characterized by widely different defect dynamics have unique
structural and functional properties in comparison to bulk materials.
• The high surface area-to-volume ratio of nanomaterials results in their higher
chemical and biological activity as the surface atoms are unsaturated in their
chemical bonds.
• With nearly a quarter or more atoms residing at the surface, nanomaterials can
be exceptionally reactive.
Tiny science, huge concern
• Nanotechnology can be characterized as passive or active.
• Passive applications are those in which the nanomaterial or its structure
does not change form or function.
• Nanostructures or nanomaterials are said to be active when they are able to
change their form or function.

Does nanotechnology pose health risks?

• As science and technology develop and advance, the environment and ecological
systems are at great risk, as there is a deviation from natural forces of equilibrium.
• Some nano-fabrication methods use toxic raw materials or produce toxic by-
products.
• Extensive research is underway to characterize the nanotoxicological effect of
different nanoparticles on aquatic and animal species.
• Once the safe limits of different nanomaterials are evaluated and tabulated,
measures to mitigate the risks involved in undesirable exposure during
manufacturing or service exploitation of nanomaterials can be achieved.

What makes it dangerous?

• The adverse effects of certain chemical substances, even in the bulk form, have
been well studied for several centuries.
• It is known that the higher surface area-to volume ratio of nanoparticles
enhances their chemical and bio-reactivity, as demonstrated by pioneering
animal studies of particle deposition and retention in the lung.
• The risk involved is that nanomaterials can not only penetrate cell membranes
allowing entry of otherwise restricted foreign bodies, but they can also
translocate to other tissues and organs.

Potential impact of nanomaterials on humans and the environment

• Due to the increasing use of synthetic nanoparticles, the concentration of such
particles in environmental media, i.e., soil, water and air, is expected to
increase in the future.
• Cytotoxicity is the quality of being toxic to cells. Treating cells with a cytotoxic
compound can result in a variety of cell fates.
• Genotoxicity describes a deleterious action on a cell’s genetic material affecting
its integrity.
• In 2007, the Russians appear to have exploded the first bomb based on
nanotechnology. It was reportedly the largest non-nuclear bomb ever tested.
Health issues with engineered nanomaterials
• There has been little research in the potential health risks of nanotechnology-based
products that are already available in the market, for example, cosmetics.
• The vastly different transport mechanisms and selective deposition of nanoparticles
across various zones, tissues and organs are reasons for significant concern in their
wide-scale usage.
• At the highest dose used in the study, the animals suffocated due to the clumping of
nanotubes, which blocked their bronchial passages.
• Another study conducted in 2004 at the Southern Methodist University by Eva
Oberdorster reportedly found inflammation and ‘significant damage’ in the brains
of a largemouth bass as a result of exposure to nanomaterials called aqueous
fullerenes.
Adverse effects of quantum dots
• Among the large array of nanomaterials, quantum dots (QD) are of particular
importance for their possible therapeutic and diagnostic medical applications.
A summary of the studies on quantum dots is given below:
• The toxic effect of quantum dots depends on multiple factors, including their
physicochemical properties and environmental conditions.
• Exposure of human beings to QDs might be from the environment or during
therapeutic use.
• Introduction of QD into the environment may occur via waste streams from
industries, research and clinical settings.
• The main concern of QDs is their content in metals, such as cadmium or
selenium, that are
• known to cause adverse effects on the environment and in vertebrates,
including humans.
Nanoparticles in living systems
•All nanoparticles, on exposure to tissues and fluids of the body, have a tendency to
be adsorbed to macromolecules at the site of entry.
•There can be a number of areas of possible human exposure during the production
of nanoparticles.
Respiratory tract Classic routes of exposure of the body are through the
respiratory tract by inhalation, through the skin by absorption and through the
mouth by ingestion, or a combination of these routes.
Dermal absorption With regard to dermal absorption, two pathways are
conceivable: particles can enter the skin through the upper layer of the skin or
through the hair roots.
 Intestines In principle, insoluble particles can be absorbed through the intestine
and thus enter the lymphatic system. From there, such particles may enter blood
circulation and spread throughout the body.
Bloodstream The relative importance of the individual routes of exposure
cannot be described in quantitative terms at present. Studies have indicated that
nanoparticles are capable of crossing biological barriers such as the blood–brain
barrier.
Cells At the cellular level, barriers such as cell membranes do not constitute
obstacles for nanoparticles. In nerve cells, particles were observed to move along
the axis cylinders.
Ecological aspects
• The environmental issues of nanotechnology are currently an increasingly
important area of research. However, it has to be assumed that due to their
special properties, nanoparticles will definitely pose a risk to the environment.
• The bactericidal activity of some nanomaterials could produce adverse effects
in sewage treatment works and cause a change in the composition of the
microbial population in water.
• Studies on the impact of nanoparticles on soil ecosystems are almost
completely missing.
• Experiments using aluminium nanoparticles have revealed a reduced growth of
the roots of a number of crops.