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Proceedings of the International Symposium on Engineering under Uncertainty: Safety Assessment and Management (ISEUSAM - 2012) pp 385–400Cite as

Nanotoxicology: A Threat to the Environment and to Human Beings

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Abstract

Nanotechnology research and development is directed towards the understanding and control of matter at dimension of roughly 1–100 nm. At this size, the physical, chemical, and biological properties of materials differ in fundamental and potentially useful ways from the properties of individual’s atoms and molecules. Its applications advanced very quickly while very little has been done to measure and assess the risks of nanoparticles (NPs) to biological systems and to the ecosystems. In the year 2000, the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) was formed to ensure public confidence in the field of nanotechnology research, engineering and manufacturing of nanoscale product. In this chapter, we present different kind of nanotoxicology studies to examine the environment and health risks associated with nanoparticles exposure. We also point the penetration of nanoparticles into human body via various routes and interact with the system with their toxic properties that depends on surface chemistry, particle size, surface charge, and surface area. Nanoparticles of oxides like Sio2 produced and characterised in our laboratory were tested against insect’s pests and pathogens. Nano silica against insect pests shows nearly 100% mortality.

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Acknowledgements

We are thankful particularly to all engineers and staff of Institute of Cybernetics Systems and Information Technology (ICSIT), all our colleagues at the Biological Science Division, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, ECSU, Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, and Department of Radiophysics and Electronics, Calcutta University, Kolkata.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ECSU, Indian Statistical Institute, 203, B.T. Road, Kolkata, 700108, India

    D. Dutta Majumder

  2. Institute of Cybernetics Systems and Information Technology, 155, Ashoke Garh, Kolkata, 700108, India

    D. Dutta Majumder & Sankar Karan

  3. Institute of Radiophysics and Electronics, C.U., 92, APC Road, Kolkata, 700006, India

    Sankar Karan

  4. Biological Science Division, ISI, 203, B T Road, Kolkata, 700108, India

    A. Goswami

  5. Department of Health and Family Welfare, Sastha Bhawan, Kolkata, 700091, India

    N Banerjee

Authors
  1. D. Dutta Majumder
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  2. Sankar Karan
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  3. A. Goswami
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  4. N Banerjee
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to D. Dutta Majumder .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Civil Engineering, Bengal Engineering and Science Univ., Botanic Garden, Howrah, India

    Subrata Chakraborty

  2. Bengal Engineering and Science Univ., Howrah, India

    Gautam Bhattacharya

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Majumder, D.D., Karan, S., Goswami, A., Banerjee, N. (2013). Nanotoxicology: A Threat to the Environment and to Human Beings. In: Chakraborty, S., Bhattacharya, G. (eds) Proceedings of the International Symposium on Engineering under Uncertainty: Safety Assessment and Management (ISEUSAM - 2012). Springer, India. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-0757-3_22

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-81-322-0757-3_22

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, India

  • Print ISBN: 978-81-322-0756-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-81-322-0757-3

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