2024 Winning Essay – Antonio J.

100% Scholarship Winner, Antonio Javier Linares-Miranda, judged by Mike Oram, Academy Lead at iO Academy

Could Nanotechnology Be A Hazard?

Size does not matter in how dangerous something is. Researchers from several renowned universities have developed nanoparticles to help radiation therapy for cancer to be more accurate, but there are also many risks when it comes to nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is the study of manipulation of matter in a near-atomic scale and it is currently being developed. I believe that more scientists must work on controlling nanodevices and nanoparticles to prevent hazards that must be significantly considered. In this essay, I will be analysing potential threats to help people understand how uncontrolled nanotechnology could be a hazard.

Firstly, uncontrolled nanoparticles could pose potential threats to human health when used in medicine, one of the main applications of nanotechnology. The use of nanodevices is a relatively new concept dating back to the 1960s, when it was first mentioned. However, the risks associated with these nano-objects remain largely unknown for the moment. The exceptionally small size of nanotechnological objects enables them to bypass barriers such as air, wood, and skin. This poses the risk that nanoparticles could damage organs and tissues if absorbed into the wrong target.

Secondly, nanotechnological devices and particles could also pose environmental risks. Currently, the nanoparticles’ reactivity with other substances and rapid structural changes make them difficult to monitor and control. The possibility of uncontrolled replication of nanoparticles could lead to significant environmental damage because they could harm cellular structures in trees, animals, and other organisms, disrupting ecosystems.[4] Uncontrolled nanoparticles could also contaminate seas and air, damaging the environment of the world.

The concept of nanobots is, for the moment, only theoretical. Even though the concept of nanobots is only a theory, there is another way to develop and use nanotechnology as a weapon.

There are researchers who are attempting to improve the efficiency of drugs by using a relatively new area known as nanotherapeutics to target the drug to organs, tissues and cells. Testing from 2004 in mice showed good results;

In conclusion, even though nanotechnology offers a promising future to resolve many problems in society, the loss of control or limited control system of nanodevices could lead to use in warfare as well as health and environmental threats. Therefore, nanotechnology needs more scientists to develop and improve control systems at an atomic and molecular level to make nanotechnology safer and more beneficial.

References

Ji, Yu. “How to train your drugs: from nanotherapeutics to nanobots”, University of Cambridge. https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/features/how-to-train-your-drugs-fromnanotherapeutics-to-nanobots/ last accessed 19th Dec. 2023

Ji, Yu. “How to train your drugs: from nanotherapeutics to nanobots”, University of Cambridge. https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/features/how-to-train-your-drugs-from-nanotherapeutics-to-nanobots/ last accessed 19th Dec. 2023

National Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. “What are drug delivery systems?”, US Department of Health and Human Services https://www.nibib.nih.gov/science-education/science-topics/drug-delivery-systems-getting-drugs-their-targets-controlled-manner#p id-1236/ last accessed 19th Dec. 2023

National Nanotechnology Initiative. “About Nanotechnology”, NNI. https://www.nano.gov/about-nanotechnology/ last accessed 19th Dec. 2023

Public Health. “Can nanoparticles interact with living organisms?”, Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) of the European Union. https://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/opinions_layman/en/nanotechnologies/l-2/6-health-effects-nanoparticles.htm#1/ last accessed 19th Dec. 2023

Public Health. “What are the effects of nanoparticles on the environment?”, Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) of the European Union. https://ec.europa.eu/health/scientific_committees/opinions_layman/en/nanotechnologies/l-2/6-health-effects-nanoparticles.htm#6/ last accessed 19th Dec. 2023

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). “What is nanotechnology?”, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/nanotech/default.html/ last accessed 19th Dec. 2023

Wikipedia Foundation. “Nanotechnology”, Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanotechnology/ last accessed 4th Dec. 2023

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