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Nanotechnology: Ethical Impacts, Health Issues, and Safety Issues

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Modern Nanotechnology

Abstract

With the advent of nanotechnology, the prospects for using engineered nanoparticles with diameters lesser than 100 nm have progressed rapidly. The potential for the usage of nanoparticles in disease diagnosis, drug delivery, gene therapy, and medical imaging is boundless, and the possible toxic health effects of these nanoparticles associated with human exposure are often glossed over. Nanoparticles can cause reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inflammatory-mediated diseases, which necessitate additional studies to access the exposure risks. Since nanoscale particles are manipulated based on their use, they can lead to adverse effects on the human body as exposure standards have not yet been implemented. Due to the small size of nanoparticles, they take a long time to degrade despite having a higher surface-to-volume ratio, the latter property gives them more reactivity, and it may lead to delirious effects if they enter the biochemical system. Production, application, and disposal of waste of nanomaterials and their products all have implicit effects on life and environment. Besides human health issues, the impact on agriculture and aquatic life also seems to be alarming. Due to fear of unregulated weapons manufacturing and the loss of privacy because of advanced surveillance systems, society has garnered a negative opinion on nanotechnology. Providence should be given the highest priority so as to avoid the same issues that the concept of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) failed to confront. Awareness and adequate research are required to identify and minimize the potential hazards. Most of the ethical, health, and safety issues surrounding nanotechnology can be solved by the creation of regulatory bodies and the implementation of universal policies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnology, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

    L. Inbathamizh, M. K. Harsha Varthan, R. S. Rejith Kumar, M. Rohinth & Z. H. Tawfeeq Ahmed

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  1. L. Inbathamizh
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  2. M. K. Harsha Varthan
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  3. R. S. Rejith Kumar
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  4. M. Rohinth
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  5. Z. H. Tawfeeq Ahmed
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, Government Degree College, Kulgam, India

    Junaid Ahmad Malik

  2. Department of Physics, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

    Mohamed Jaffer Sadiq Mohamed

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Inbathamizh, L., Harsha Varthan, M.K., Kumar, R.S.R., Rohinth, M., Tawfeeq Ahmed, Z.H. (2023). Nanotechnology: Ethical Impacts, Health Issues, and Safety Issues. In: Malik, J.A., Sadiq Mohamed, M.J. (eds) Modern Nanotechnology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-31104-8_20

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