Nanotechnology and the Environment

Nanomaterials' unique properties offer revolutionary means to optimize a variety of products, including electronics, textiles, paintings and coatings, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products. However, these same properties mean that nanoscale materials can behave differently in the human body and the environment than conventional materials. Nanotechnology and the Environment provides the fundamental basis needed to assess and understand the life cycle of nanomaterials. It begins with a general explanation of nanomaterials, their properties, and their uses and describes the processes used to manufacture nanoscale materials. Subsequent chapters furnish information on the analysis of nanomaterials in the environment and their fate and transport, including the effects of wastewater treatment on nanomaterials. The book discusses possible risks to human health and the environment and the environment, and describes developing regulations to manage those risks. Given the potential risks, the book explores the apparent paradox of using nanomaterials in environmental remediation. The final chapter discusses frameworks for evaluating the balance between risk and reward as nanomaterials are manufactured, used and released to the environment.

Introduction K. Sellers Nanoscale Materials: Definition and Properties K. Sellers Overview of Manufacturing Processes J. Chen and K. Sellers Developing Environmental Regulations Pertinent to Nanotechnology L. L. Bergeson Analyses of Nanoparticles in the Environment M. Hoyt Environmental Fate and Transport C.s E. Mackay and K. M. Henry Treatment of Nanoparticles in Wastewater K.M. Henry and K. Sellers The Potential Ecological Hazard of Nanomaterials S. R. Clough Toxicology and Risk Assessment C. E. Mackay and J. Hamblen Nanoparticle Use in Pollution Control K. Sellers Balancing the Risks and Rewards K. Sellers