Nanoparticles: their like regular particles, only nano sized, right? Not quite. It turns out when you take a chemical and break it down into itsy bitsy sized pieces it isn't just a smaller version of itself. It has the potential to behave like a completely different chemical. And that's what makes nanoparticles so cool. A substance that acts one way under normal conditions may act in a completely differently as a nanoparticle.
So why should you get excited by the fact that particles can act differently when they are really really small? Because it is changing the world you live in, and it is doing so at a very rapid pace. With nanoparticles scientists have essentially found an entire new toolkit to work with. From computers to cosmetics to pharmaceuticals, the list of recent innovations that include nanoparticles is diverse and lengthy.
And while the technological innovations are exciting, there is a call for concern as well. We are all being exposed through products like make-up, milk, and sunscreen, to hundreds if not thousands of nanomaterials on a daily basis. Toxicity testing of nanomaterials is still in the infant stages and the extent to which exposure to these particles may cause damange to our bodies is unclear.
Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with UCLA Environmental Engineering Professor Eric Hoek. Professor Hoek's work is centered around issues of environmental sustainability, however, you might not necessary know that from his paper's that include key words such as 'ultrafiltration' and 'nanocomposite membranes.'
Professor Hoek is a expert on nanparticles, having worked in the field before the buzz word 'nanoparticles' even existed. Back then it was just colloidal physics. So, I sat down and asked him: What exactly is a nanoparticle? Should we be worried about nanoparticle toxicity? What is the future for nanoparticle technology? Click on the link below to listen to his insightful and surprisingly simplistic answers.
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