Answer to Question #182135 in English for Eleine

Question

If a consumer product contains nanoparticles or is manufactured/packaged through nanotechnology, are you going 

to buy it? Justify your answer. (270 words)

Answer 1

Answer to the question.

I would not purchase a product containing nanoparticles because of the dangerous arm caused by the particle both medically and environmentally. Nanoparticles are classified into different types according to the morphology, size, physical and chemical property. Some of them are carbon based nanoparticles, ceramic nanoparticles, metal nanoparticles, semiconductor nanoparticles, lipid based nanoparticles and polymeric nanoparticles. Some of the negative effects of the particles to the human body are as follows, nanoparticles are microscopic in nature hence penetrate through the skin or get into the body via inhalation not intended and cause harm to the human body. Once the particles pass through the eye of a person, they cause tears, redness and irritation. Via the lungs from where a rapid translocation through the blood stream is able to enter vital organs. Once breathed in the particles get into the throat and lungs causing sneezing and coughing. The effects of inhaled nanoparticles in the body include heart problem like regulating the heart rate, causes lung damage by triggering a type of programmed cell death known as autophagy cell death triggering lung cancer.

The use of nanoparticles in numerous consumer products lead to their release to the aquatic environment and become a source of dissolved and thus exert toxic effects on aquatic organisms including bacteria, algae, fish and daphnia. Nanoparticles tend to aggregate in hard water and seawater and are greatly influenced by the specific type of organic matter or other natural particles present in fresh water. The state of dispersion will alter the eco toxicity, but many abiotic factor that influence this such as pH, salinity and the presence of organic matter.