Friend or Foe?

I am not sure that my mom really knows what I do. She can grasp on the concrete things like cars, clean energy, save the world type things but I have a sneaking suspicion the rest of it eludes her a bit. This is what she does know: nanoparticles are really small. But what she may not realize is that they are not that small. In fact, the molecules that James makes are about 10 times smaller than the nanoparticles I make. And that is what makes them cool; they're pieces of material that are too big to be molecules, and too small to act like chunks of material. As a result they have all sorts of cool properties that change in sometimes unexpected ways as you make different sized particles from big-like-a-chunk (like 200 nm) down to small like a molecule (~ 1nm).

But what the heck are they made of? Well, "nanoparticles" are as diverse in nature and use as things that weigh about one kilogram. Is it made out of organic material, iron, or earth? Is it a bag of sugar, a pistol, a brick? Is that nano-particle made out of iron, a semiconductor, or palladium? Can it be used as a tiny magnet, a long lived biological dye, or a really active catalyst?

I will take the analogy one step further. Sometimes, what we intend things for is not what happens to them. A pistol can be used as a weapon or a paperweight, and equally brick can build a house or build jails. I make and research catalysts for energy applications, but maybe they *might* get used in catalytic converters. Or, far worse, maybe someone researches a potential anti cancer treatment only to find out in 20 years it is being used for something completely asinine and potentially harmful.

On The National the other night, there was a segment warning people about nanoparticles and possible health effects. I know you are expecting me to tell you to calm down and don't be worried, but I completely agree with the segment. We are coming up with these funky new materials, people are starting to commercialize them and mass produce them without considering the consequences. Probably without you knowing it nano-particles are now used in fuel lines in your car, in face creams, high end motor oils and tennis rackets.

We just don't know what the possible health and environmental consequences may be of these materials. Some nanoparticles and the ways that they are being used say to me 'probably no issue here' and others make me squirm a little. But I really don't know.

First of all, I'd like you to know that some nanparticles have been produced by man or naturally for a long time, and we already know some things about the health consequences of these materials. For example, silica, plain 'ol sand and rock, is pretty boring stuff, but if you are a miner and inhale the resulting silica nanoparticles in the drill dust over years, you get miner's lung. Zinc Oxide nanoparticles have been a favorite in diaper rash creams and sunscreens for decades and we all seem to be O.K.- not much to be afraid of there.

But I want to tell you about the specific example of silver nanoparticles, because it illustrates my concerns. Since at least WWI, bandages have been impregnated with silver nanoparticles because they are antimicrobial. Who knows how many infections have been prevented and lives saved because of this. But a few years a ago, I saw a talk by a fabulously mustachioed Texan researcher that showed that you can actually grow silver resistant bacteria. This seems like good enough reason alone to advocate restraint in usage.

But of course there are those that think only of themselves. Like this guy who decided to smear silver nanoparticles on his skin, every day, as ill guided self medication. He tattooed his whole body blue. Permanently. But Papa Smurf here only really hurt himself- and possibly his love life.

But now you can buy antimicrobial silver nanoparticle impregnated socks so your feet don't smell too bad. This seems like a funny example of the corporate machine using technology to separate the foolish and smelly from their money. A few pairs of these unnecessarily technology enhanced socks? No problem. But what happens if this takes off and everyone owns a pair of socks that has silver nanoparticles in them? Millions of pairs of socks, being washed weekly, releasing anti microbial nano-particles in to the water system. This might be a problem.

And then there the questions surrounding the truly newly discovered nanoparticles. Will CdSe particles used for biological staining accumulate in the body? What about these funky catalysts I am making? What are the environmental consequences if they become produced on the multi tonne scale? I don't know. Maybe nothing.

One of the points brought up by The National was that no one is actually following the Government's expert panel and studying the health and envionmental effects of nanoparticles. Well- that isn't true. Some are- but not many. There are two good reasons for it.

1) Lets say you study the the new and exciting field of xxxx-nanoparticle based lasers and you have a side project that discovers that xxxx-nanoparticles bio accumulate if you inject them into mice. The community, the media, and the funding agency deems the particles as "toxic". You can say goodbye to your funding for laser research since you are working with "dangerous" and politically incorrect materials whether warranted or not in your laser application.

2) It is boring. I didn't spend nine years studying synthesis and chemistry and application and dreaming up all sorts of great interesting chemistry ideas to start over and learn about biological studies and start injecting and guillotining rats. No thank you-hoo. Call me selfish, but so be it.

I can't see the future, I don't know for what my research will be used, if at all. Even when I use my tiny reaction flasks and weight out one or two milligrams at a time, I dream of big, great important things. But of course there is the chance of catastrophe. I refuse to be afraid of the unknown in my own research. No journey can be taken if you are afraid to start.

But then again it would be a nightmare if it turned out that the irresponsible commercial application of my research was hurting people or the environment. As consumers (and as patent rights holders) we need to demand that due diligence is taken in order study and rule out foreseeable negative consequences before we produce new materials on the multi-tonne scale. And that new technologies are used responsibly and cautiously at first - like for safer fuel injection lines and medical bandages and not goddamned socks.