It is inevitable that nanomaterials will enter the waste stream and be incinerated © Shutterstock
Scientists in the US have begun addressing the question of whether the disposal of nanomaterials could damage the environment, by investigating the fate of nanomaterials in incinerators.
Over the past few decades, nanomaterials have proven to be extremely useful, and as our understanding of their unique properties has increased, so has the variety of applications for which they have been used. For example, nanomaterials make excellent catalysts due to their very large surface area to volume ratios, and they are very popular in the medical industry as vehicles for the delivery of drugs into the body. But it’s not only in industry that nanomaterials have been making their mark, they are slowly but surely making their way into a myriad of consumer products as well. Nanomaterials are already being used as UV filters in sun cream and in cosmetics as colourants, and nanosilver is becoming popular as an antibacterial agent in fabrics and cleaning products.
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Characterization of particle emissions and fate of nanomaterials during incineration
Eric P. Vejerano, Elena C. Leon, Amara L. Holder and Linsey C. Marr
Environ. Sci.: Nano, 2014, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C3EN00080J, Paper
Eric P. Vejerano, Elena C. Leon, Amara L. Holder and Linsey C. Marr
Environ. Sci.: Nano, 2014, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C3EN00080J, Paper
