Nanoparticles

All you wanted to know about nanotechnology, from a pack of Mentos and a bottle of Coke

by Andrew Maynard January 25, 2009

I spend quite a bit of my time talking to different groups about nanotechnology, including its potential and its challenges. And as a result, I’m constantly on the prowl for new ways of illustrating why nanotechnology is important. In particular, I’ve been keeping my eyes peeled for a quick and dirty (and fun) demonstration to [...]

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Asbestos-like nanomaterials – should we be concerned?

by Andrew Maynard January 23, 2009

I’m afraid the “A” word just won’t go away.  It seems that every time people start thinking about the possible health effects of long, thin, fibrous nanomaterials, the question pops up “is this the next asbestos?”  You’d have thought that the issue would have been resolved by now—after all, nanomaterials like carbon nanotubes have been [...]

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Getting to grips with nanomaterial toxicity

by Andrew Maynard December 15, 2008

Introducing MINChar—a new community initiative to support effective material characterization in nanotoxicity studies. Here’s a tough one:  Imagine you have a new substance—call it substance X—and you run some tests to see how toxic it is.  But you’re not quite sure what substance X is. You know that it is a powder, and it is [...]

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Toxic particles and trivial pursuits*

by Andrew Maynard November 23, 2008

First impressions of the ICON EHS Database Analysis Tool What do you do this holiday season when the turkey’s lost its appeal, you’ve seen every movie worth watching ten times over, and conversational déjà-vu sets in?  If you are really desperate, you could play “nano-trivia”—and thanks to the fine folks at the International Council On [...]

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Shaking up the nano-food debate

by Andrew Maynard October 20, 2008

Is the RBC Life Sciences® nanotechnology product Slim Shake approved for use by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)?  According to the BBC Radio 4 science program Frontiers—broadcast on Monday evening—there may be some doubt.  But I get ahead of myself. The US-based company RBC Life Sciences® sells a range of dietary supplements and [...]

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Alphabet soup hides the secrets of safe nanotech!

by Andrew Maynard October 14, 2008

After three years of hard work, International Standards Organization (ISO) Technical Committee TC229—set up in 2005 to develop nanotechnology-related standards—has finally begun delivering the goods.  And the first documents off of the blocks tackle head-on the challenges of working safely with engineered nanomaterials. September saw the publication of the Technical Specification 27687—“Nanotechnologies—Terminology and definitions for [...]

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Nano-silver: Old problems or new challenges?

by Andrew Maynard September 9, 2008

The blogging community is no stranger to the use (and possible abuse) of nanometre-scale silver—products ranging from silver-enhanced socks and toothpaste to plush toys and cure-alls have all appeared in the spotlight recently. With each passing month, the number of nano-silver gizmos on the market is growing.

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Nanotoxicologists self-assemble

by Andrew Maynard September 9, 2008

If you evaluate the toxicity of an engineered nanomaterial, how far can you trust your results?  If someone else repeats your tests and gets a different answer, did they do it wrong? Did you?  Or was the material used different in some subtle but nevertheless important way? These are questions that have dogged nanotoxicologists for [...]

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A consumer’s guide to nanotechnology

by Andrew Maynard August 21, 2008

  How cool is this: A nanotech-enabled labcoat to protect the user against… well, nanomaterials presumably, amongst other things!   The labcoat—which uses Nanotex technology to make it stain resistant—is part of a major update to the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies Consumer Products Inventory that tracks manufacture-identified nano-products.  Other eye-catchers in the update include a hunting shirt that resists bloodstains, [...]

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Nano-sunscreens leave their mark

by Andrew Maynard June 21, 2008

Painted metal roofs are cheap, convenient, and usually very durable.  But over the past two years, a rash of accelerated ageing has blighted pre-painted steel roofing in Australia.  And intriguingly the ageing—which affects the coating—seems to be localized to small patches, taking on the form of fingerprints, handprints and even footprints. The culprit it seems [...]

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Nanotechnology—in bed with Madonna?

by Andrew Maynard April 25, 2008

If you want proof that nano is mainstream, just pick up the U.S. May edition of fashion magazine “Elle.”   Sharing cover-space with Madonna is the latest article on nanotech and the beauty business. Elle might not be your first choice of reading for cutting edge science, but Joanne Chen’s article “Small Wonders” is no slouch when it [...]

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I’m breathing in nanoparticles, so why aren’t I dead already?

by Andrew Maynard April 5, 2008

Read some accounts of nanotechnology risks, and you might be forgiven for concluding that a single engineered nanoparticle can kill you.  Of course, a little critical thinking soon dispels this notion—we are constantly bombarded with incidental nanoparticles from sources that include cars, incinerators and fires; we have been since birth.  And as critics of “risk [...]

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People breathing in nanoparticles? Surely you’re joking Mr. Feynman!

by Andrew Maynard October 8, 2007

Admit it-deep down, your don’t really believe people will be exposed to engineered nanomaterials.  After all, most nanomaterials will be made in enclosed reactors, handled as precious commodities where not a particle can be spared, and irreversibly incorporated into a bewildering array of products.  And those that do start their life as nanoparticles will clump [...]

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