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The Rewards and Risks of Nanoparticles

Chandler, AZ

The idea of nanotechnology comes from the world’s production and usage of nanoparticles. Nanoparticles are particles of matter that have a diameter in the range of 1 to 100 nm. They’re found everywhere in nature and used in many industries. How were nanoparticles created? Well, there are many processes in the makeup of these individual particles, especially in cosmology, geology, and biology. Within nanoparticles themselves, there are many variations of it, such as nanospheres, nano chains, and nanofibers, to name a few. The whole point of all of this is that everything is at the nanoscale. Everything is tiny. Nanoparticles are smaller than 1/100th of a grain of sand. How humans use nanoparticles will depend on the stability of the particles and if we have the tools to alter them.


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Applications of nanoparticles

What are the benefits of nanoparticles in society? For starters, nanoparticles contribute to more robust and cleaner systems and surfaces. For example, in sunscreen, the titanium oxide nanoparticles give transparent protection from the UV light of the sun. In the automotive industry, people can use nanoparticles to make the tires stick more to the road. In the medical field, there are already applications of nanoparticles in the human body. Since they’re so small, doctors can put them inside the body for drug delivery or do with the cells. These are just a couple of instances where nanoparticles are an asset in society.


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Types of nanoparticles

Although there are many instances of nanoparticles helping out, there are also possible risks associated with them. For one, nanoparticles may harm organs in the body. The full capabilities of nanoparticles still need to be understood, and once it is ingested into the body, the uncertainty of the effects increases. Another issue is with the toxicity of the nanoparticles. Some compounds that make up certain particles may not be as easy with humans as others. These problems explain why there is a lot of regulation on the use of nanoparticles in the industry. Companies dealing with nanoparticles must make sure everything is functional and safe in a nanoparticle before being used. Suppose society wants to progress with nanoparticles and nanotechnology. In that case, more research and studies must be done on these particles so that more risks are accounted for and the public will trust nanoparticles more.


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Nanoparticles in the body

If the management of nanoparticles is done correctly, it will open many doors for advancements in numerous fields. Especially in the medical area, nanoparticles would have the best use because of their size. Doctors could inject the patient with nanoparticles that know how to treat an ailment. Nanomedicine would be used more to make fixes at the level of the cell. Those nanoparticles could enter any cell and get to work. Doctors could also use them in medical devices for better efficiency and function. Nanoparticles can be very beneficial if proper research is done on how society can use them safely. Individuals can utilize them in any industry because of their efficiency and size. One example is in health, where scientists can now put nanoparticles in the biological tissue of a human body. The use of nanopait’sles is growing, anthey’restill unknown if they’re safe. There are potential health effects associated with nanoparticles; not all are environmentally friendly. To better grasp this new technology, people must study nanoparticles and how they affect other things. That way, they can practice these particles in all work areas.


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