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The environmental impact of nanotechnology is the possible effects that the use of nanotechnological materials and devices will have on the environment. [20] As nanotechnology is an emerging field, there is debate regarding to what extent industrial and commercial use of nanomaterials will affect organisms and ecosystems.
The United States National Nanotechnology Initiative involves 20 departments and independent agencies that focus on nanotechnology innovation and regulation in the United States. Projects and activities of NNI span from R&D to policy on environment and safety regulations of NMs. [33]
Nanotoxicological studies are intended to determine whether and to what extent these properties may pose a threat to the environment and to human beings. [5] Nanoparticles have much larger surface area to unit mass ratios which in some cases may lead to greater pro-inflammatory effects in, for example, lung tissue.
Worldwide investment in nanotechnology increased from $432 million in 1997 to about $4.1 billion in 2005. [3]: 1–3 Because nanotechnology is a recent development, the health and safety effects of exposures to nanomaterials, and what levels of exposure may be acceptable, is not yet fully understood.
The term is sometimes expanded to also include nanotechnology's health and environmental impact, but this article will only consider the social and political impact of nanotechnology. As nanotechnology is an emerging field and most of its applications are still speculative, there is much debate about what positive and negative effects that ...
However, nanotechnology raises issues, including concerns about the toxicity and environmental impact of nanomaterials, [9] and their potential effects on global economics, as well as various doomsday scenarios. These concerns have led to a debate among advocacy groups and governments on whether special regulation of nanotechnology is warranted.
Pages in category "Nanotechnology and the environment" ... Impact of nanotechnology; Nanotechnology for water purification; P.
Nanotechnology's environmental impact can be split into two aspects: the potential for nanotechnological innovations to help improve the environment, and the possibly novel type of pollution that nanotechnological materials might cause if released into the environment.