The Impact of Nanotechnology on the Environment - Essay Example

Environmental Impacts of Nanotechnology

Abstract

Nanotechnologies are among the prospective scientific processes that have made milestone achievements in physics, chemistry, and engineering. Nanotechnology is based on the application of matter on the smallest sizes. The use of nanotechnologies, however, has various impacts on the environment. Various Research reviews on the effects of nanotechnology indicate different adverse effects on the environment. For instance, nanotechnology applications pose a threat to the environment through the dissemination of harmful substances to the environment, such as through disposal of cosmetics and aerosol exposure to the ecosystems.

The research review also indicates the possible positive impacts of the use of nanotechnologies. For instance, the application of nanotechnologies offers solutions to pollution activities caused by human activities. Tackling the increasing threat of climate change is a global concern, and the use of nanotechnologies provides solutions, especially through the purification of air and water. The research review explores the positive and negative effects of nanotechnologies and their impact on the environment. From the study, the positive effects outweigh the negative effects of nanotechnology applications on the environment.

Introduction

Nanotechnology refers to scientific processes concerned with the manipulation and application of matter on a nanoscale. Nanotechnology processes are among the most prospective scientific fields where the achievements are applied in various areas, including chemistry and engineering. The application of matter on nanoscale involves operating atoms, molecules, and matter in the sizes ranging from 1 to 100 nanometers. The nano-scaled particles offer a larger area that increases the chemical and physical properties of matter. There are various benefits inherent to increased properties of matter, and its use has been critical in areas such as aircraft manufacture and other electronic manufacturing. Manipulation of matter at the nanoscale also has the benefits of lesser imperfections, leading to minimization of production costs. Ecological concerns on the impact of nanotechnology indicate the problems of toxicity of nanomaterials due to the potential changes in the nanoparticles' properties.

The application of nanotechnology is active globally and has been used to develop products such as cosmetics, sunscreens, and sports equipment. However, toxicology testing on the nanotechnology processes' environmental effects is still undergoing rapid development as further technologies are being developed to combat environmental pollutants. While the application of nanotechnologies comes with the benefits of remedying human footprints in pollution, they also pose the threat of possible pollution and gas emissions. Various research has been conducted assessing the environmental impacts of the nanotechnology processes.

According to Zhang and Dhanasekaran (2011), nanotechnology applications are diverse, and they pose negative environmental impacts through the dissemination of toxic nano-substances, which cause the origins of environmental harm. The increased application of nanotechnologies has adverse environmental effects upon entry of the nanoparticles through dissolution or settling. The behavior of nanomaterials upon disposal depends on the nature of the environment. Often, tiny particles tend to agglomerate or aggregate with each other and eventually dissolve. In environmental settings such as water surfaces and land masses, concentrated quantities of nanoparticles through dissolution, speciation, or settling may pose an environmental risk through toxicity. Exposure of nanoparticles to water surfaces has the effect of colloidal suspensions, which are considered unstable. Colloidal stability in water surfaces is expressed through the pH, organic matter, and the ionic strength (Kabir, 2018). The dissolution of nanoparticles in water surfaces has the effect of destabilizing the water pH and increasing ionic strength through the cooperation of particles in water. High quantity concentrations of nanomaterial in water pose an environmental risk, especially to aquatic life. Understanding the environmental behavior of nanoparticles is essential in determining the extent of environmental risks posed by nanomaterials exposure to the environment.

Similarly, environmental fate and transport of the nanomaterials are the essential determinants of the environmental impacts of nanotechnology processes. The research by Schottel et al., (2016) outlines that exposure of nanoparticles in aerosol form indicate decaying behavior with distance from the source. However, the engineered nanoparticles' behavior differs from aerosol forms due to its coated nature, which reduces aggregation. Thus, dermal exposure poses an environmental risk, especially where the exposure occurs in an ecosystem or public. According to Bottero (2016), some nanoparticles indicate characteristics of being strong oxidants. Nanoparticles that have been tested for use as gasoline additives also have potential risks impacting the environment of use. For example, nanoparticles from cerium oxide nanoparticles have the potential of negatively affecting the environment of use, such as impacting the carbon chemistry in water and soils. Also, the transportation of nanomaterials is another determinant of the environmental impact of nanoparticles. Nanoparticles in aerosol forms negatively impact the environment in cases where porous media is used in the transportation process. However, the pollution effect resulting from aerosol nanoparticle transportation differs in each ecosystem, such as soil, surface waters, and the atmosphere.

Nanotechnologies have various positive impacts on the environment by providing solutions to issues such as greenhouse gas emissions and pollution. Nanotechnology is broad and includes science fields in engineering, organic chemistry, and surface sciences, among other areas. The applications of nanotechnology are also diverse, and in recent times, it has been considered in the use of combating climate change. In the article by Shafique and Luo (2019), the development of lightweight nano-composite materials plays an essential role in reducing vehicle emission through decreased fuel consumption and, consequently, impact clime change. In the research, the reduction of vehicle weight has a corresponding reduction in vehicle fuel consumption, which leads to significant reductions in gas emissions. Also, nanotechnologies are used to combat gas emissions through the application of nano-catalysts. Nano-catalysts are used to improve fuel efficiency by incorporating cerium oxide to ensure complete combustion (Guerra, 2018). Cerium oxide has oxygen-storing nanoparticles, which aid in the complete combustion of fuels and, in the process, reduce fuel consumption levels. Total fuel consumption reduces friction resistance in vehicle engines leading to a significant reduction in gas emissions. Carbon emissions contribute to increased climatic changes, and a reduction in fuel consumption has the effect of reducing considerable carbon emission every year.

The application of nanotechnologies also offers solutions to environmental issues such as pollution. Increased human activities have increased the emission of pollutants to the environment, including heavy metals, carbon monoxide gases, organic compounds, among other pollutants. Often, pollution contaminants exist as mixtures in air, soil, and water. According to Yunus et al. (2012), nanotechnologies provide an alternative way to control matter at the nanoscale, hence the ability to monitor, detect, and clean possible pollutants. For example, much of the water on earth is polluted, and only 0.08% of the water is considered clean (Laha, 2019). The problem of water pollution, however, has, in the recent past, been addressed through the use of nanotechnologies to improve the quality of water. For instance, the remediation process is nanotechnology processes that help in the removal, minimization, and neutralization of contaminants in water that may affect environmental ecosystems. Biological remediation of water is achieved through the use of iron nanomaterials in the pump and treatment systems. In this process, contaminated water is extracted from the ground, passed through water treatment plants containing nanomaterials, and injected back to the ground as treated water.

Overall, nanotechnology is one of the most commonly applied fields of science with results in fields ranging from biology, engineering, physics, and chemistry, among other fields. The application of nanotechnologies also has both positive and negative impacts on the environment. Nanotechnologies positively impact the environment by remedying the environmental pollution caused by human activities and greenhouse gas emissions. Positive environmental impacts are achieved through improved detection and elimination of pollution through nanotechnologies. However, the technologies can also pose environmental risks through the dissemination of toxics with potential environmental harm.