Miscellaneous Applications of Nanotechnology

Apart from its more specific applications such as #-Link-Snipped-# the nanotechnology provides applications in most common fields such as food, cosmetics, textiles, agriculture etc.

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Image Credit: tech-faq.com

Let us start from the thing that we all work for, FOOD. We all hate to have food that does not taste great but we are forced to consume it to fulfill the protein and vitamin requirements. Such nanoparticles are being developed that can provide us with these vitamins and nutrients without changing the taste of the food. The vitamins are actually encapsulated by such particles and act as carriers up to the bloodstream.  For the packaged foodstuffs, silicate nanoparticles do not let the outside gases inside the jar and thus protect the food from contamination. If zinc oxide is added to the plastic that is used for packaging foodstuffs it can provide a protection against UV and bacteria thus protecting the food from contamination.

Among the household uses, the most prominent application is the self-cleaning ceramic and glass surfaces. Such surfaces provide super smoothness and heat and fire resistance. The most important is that you need not wipe off the dirt every time. Just sprinkle water and they get cleaned by themselves. Wrinkle free textiles that are available in market are nothing but a gift of nanotech.  Fabrics that are stain and water repellent and provide protection against all electrostatic charges are produced by applying a thin layer of nanoparticles over the fabrics. In the cosmetics field, one important product is sunscreens lotions. Usual lotions provide a whitening effect when applied. However, if nanoparticles are used this effect can be avoided. TiO2 can provide protection against the UV rays for a considerable long time.

Nanotechnology can bring about a total change in the way farming is done. As an example nanotech enabled sensors can be used in a farm that are liked to a GPRS. Such sensors would do a real time monitoring and send the data regarding the soil, temperature and weather conditions. According to the data collected, the methodologies can be altered to ensure maximum output at a minimum input. One of such system is already employed in Californian wine yards. Such a system enables top grade grapes to be grown which in turn produce high quality expensive wines.

There are innumerable applications of nanotech if we actually look into it. But are there any hazards related to its use?

Some scientists think that there will not be any significant ill effects of nanoparticles on human health. A few scientists carried out experiments to test nanoparticles’ hazards. They incorporated carbon nanotubes into mice. They traveled to the lungs and caused a disease called granulomas. Some say that the nanotubes can destroy the cells while some say they can travel up to brain cause damage. A reliable experimental data is not available as yet. What I think is that the smaller things get more difficult it is to stop them. So only time can tell the truth now.

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