Nanomaterials may pose health risk
Chapel Hill, N.C. (UPI) Dec 4, 2008 Minuscule nanoparticles added to consumer products increasingly may be swarming through the body and threatening organs like the liver, U.S. scientists fear. "The smaller a particle, the further it can travel through tissue, along airways or in blood vessels," Dr. Adnan Nasir, a clinical assistant professor of dermatology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, told The New York Times. "Especially if the nanoparticles are indestructible and accumulate and are not metabolized, if you accumulate them in the organs, the organs could fail," he said. Even when made of inert elements, nanomaterials take on unique properties, compared with their larger counterparts, due to their small size and large surface area, research suggests. Animal studies indicate nanoparticles can penetrate cells and tissues, move through the body and brain and cause biochemical damage. They have also been linked to testicular cancer and cardiovascular system damage and may pose an environmental hazard, studies suggest. Their use in lotions and creams -- particularly in mineral sunscreens -- has drawn the most critical attention, the Times said. Consumer Reports magazine commissioned a study that found mineral nanoparticles in five sunscreens, even though four of the companies denied using them. A separate study by the U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology found stoves and toaster ovens emit ultrafine particles of 2 to 30 nanometers. Related Links Nano Technology News From SpaceMart.com Computer Chip Architecture, Technology and Manufacture
EPA seeks comment on nanosilver petition Washington (UPI) Nov 19, 2008 The U.S. Environmental Agency is seeking public review and comment on a petition asking the agency to classify nanoscale silver as a pesticide. |
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright Space.TV Corporation. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space.TV Corp on any Web page published or hosted by Space.TV Corp. Privacy Statement |