Nanophobia, fear of small particles

[theblackalchemist]

Nanophobia, fear of small particles

 

It sounds like a plot straight out of a sci-fi novel by Michael Crichton. Toiletry companies formulate new cutting-edge creams and lotions that

contain tiny components designed to work more effectively. But those minuscule building blocks have an unexpected drawback: the ability to penetrate the skin, swarm through the body and overwhelm organs like the liver.

 

Humans have long lived in dread of such nightmare scenarios in which swarms of creatures attack. And now comes nanophobia, the fear that tiny components engineered on the nanoscale — that is, 100 nanometre or less — could run amok inside the body. A human hair, for example, is 50,000 to 100,000 nanometre in diameter. A nanoparticle of titanium dioxide in a sunscreen could be as small as 15 nanometre.

 

Several products already use nano-engineered materials. There are “nano pants,” stain-resistant chinos and jeans whose fabric contain nano-sized whiskers that repel oil and dirt, and nanocycles made from carbon nanotubes that are stronger and lighter than standard steel bicycles. And in lotions and creams, the use of nano components may create a more cosmetically elegant effect — like uniformity or spreadability.

 

“The smaller a particle, the further it can travel through tissue, along airways or in blood vessels,” said Adnan Nasir, a clinical assistant professor of dermatology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “Especially if the nano particles are indestructible and accumulate and are not metabolised, if you accumulate them in the organs, the organs could fail.”

 

Nanophobia, fear of small particles-Health/Sci-The Times of India