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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 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 ...
The Canada-U.S. Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC) Nanotechnology Initiative was constructed in order for the U.S. and Canada to protect and improve safety and environmental impacts of NMs without hindering growth and investment in NMs for both countries.
Ethics of nanotechnology is the study of the ethical issues emerging from advances in nanotechnology and its impacts.. According to Andrew Chen, ethical concerns about nanotechnologies should include the possibility of their military applications, the dangers posed by self-replicant nanomachines, and their use for surveillance monitoring and tracking. [1]
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.
Green nanotechnology refers to the use of nanotechnology to enhance the environmental sustainability of processes producing negative externalities. It also refers to the use of the products of nanotechnology to enhance sustainability. It includes making green nano-products and using nano-products in support of sustainability. [citation needed]
As nanotechnology advances, many studies have been conducted to determine the effects nanoengineered materials can have on the environment. [22] Most textiles can lose up to 20% of their mass during their lifetime, so nanoparticles used in production of nanofabrics are at risk of being released into the air and waterways. [23]
Nanotoxicology is the study of the toxicity of nanomaterials. [1] Because of quantum size effects and large surface area to volume ratio, nanomaterials have unique properties compared with their larger counterparts that affect their toxicity.