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The purposeful creation of engineered nano-materials is a relatively recent discovered technology. The ability to create very small scaled structures (<100 nanometers) has brought forward the increased ability to perform tasks much more efficiently due to nano-materials increased surface area compared to the same bulk material. Some of the physical and chemical properties that may be effected by this change include;
Obviously if the above stated properties of a material can be transformed, so too can its hazard profile! This new technology and altered properties can also bring with it other less desirable biological interactions as well. Some of these hazards are still unknown and are currently being investigated. Therefore extreme care should be afforded while dealing with nanomaterials until their hazard profile is fully understood.
Due to the hazards associated with nanomaterials, consider using less hazardous forms when possible rather than dry solids which have a higher risk for exposure. Examples:
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) nanomaterials are: “Engineered nanoscale materials or nanomaterials are materials that have been purposefully manufactured, synthesized, or manipulated to have a size with at least one dimension in the range of approximately 1 to 100 nanometers and that exhibit unique properties determined by their size.” Nanomaterials with all three dimensions under 100 nm are referred to as nanoparticles. Even though DNA and RNA can fulfill the definition of nanomaterial they are generally not considered nanomaterials.
