Nanotechnology Dangers in The Automobile Industry

Nanotechnology is the generic name given to the production or use of very small, or ‘nano’ particles. Nanotechnology is engineering at the atomic scale. One nanometre is a billionth of a metre, or about 1/80,000 the width of a human hair. Nanotechnology works on a scale of up to 100 nanometres. A grain of sand is a million nanometres across. A red blood cell is 10,000 nanometres.

Thousands of nano-technology applications are already being used in the production of household cleaners, sunscreen, cosmetics, coatings, computer chips, medical equipment, medicine and many more but over the past few years nano particle technology has taken a giant leap in the automotive industry. Many manufacturers are producing automobile wax, cleaners and automotive paint using this new technology despite the fact that the physical properties of chemicals change at this scale, they are a potential health and safety hazard.

The mere presence of nanomaterials (materials that contain nanoparticles) is not in itself a threat. It is only certain aspects that can make them risky, in particular their mobility and their increased reactivity. Only if certain properties of certain nanoparticles were harmful to living beings or the environment would we be faced with a genuine hazard.

In addressing the health and environmental impact of nanomaterials we need to differentiate two types of nanostructures: (1) Nanocomposites, nanostructured surfaces and nanocomponents (electronic, optical, sensors etc.), where nanoscale particles are incorporated into a substance, material or device (“fixed” nano-particles); and (2) “free” nanoparticles, where at some stage in production or use individual nanoparticles of a substance are present. These free nanoparticles could be nanoscale species of elements, or simple compounds, but also complex compounds where for instance a nanoparticle of a particular element is coated with another substance (“coated” nanoparticle or “core-shell” nanoparticle).

There seems to be consensus that, although one should be aware of materials containing fixed nanoparticles, the immediate concern is with free nanoparticles. Because nanoparticles are very different from their everyday counterparts, their adverse effects cannot be derived from the known toxicity of the macro-sized material. This poses significant issues for addressing the health and environmental impact of free nanoparticles.

To complicate things further, in talking about nanoparticles it is important that a powder or liquid containing nanoparticles is almost never monodisperse, but will contain a range of particle sizes. This complicates the experimental analysis as larger nanoparticles might have different properties than smaller ones. Also, nanoparticles show a tendency to aggregate and such aggregates often behave differently from individual nanoparticles.

Potential risks of nanotechnology can broadly be grouped into three areas:

* Health and environmental risks from nanoparticles and nanomaterials;
* The risk posed by molecular manufacturing (or advanced nanotechnology);
* Societal risks

Health issues

There are four entry routes for nanoparticles into the body: they can be inhaled, swallowed, absorbed through skin or be deliberately injected during medical procedures (or released from implants). Once within the body they are highly mobile and in some instances can even cross the blood-brain barrier.

Nanoparticles are likely to be dangerous for three main reasons. Firstly, many may damage the lungs. We know that 'ultra fine' particles from diesel machines, power plants and incinerators can cause considerable damage to human lungs. This is both because of their size (as they can get deep into the lungs) and also because they carry other chemicals including metals and hydrocarbons in with them.

Secondly nanoparticles can get into the body through the skin, lungs and digestive system. This may help create 'free radicals' which can cause cell damage. There is also concern that once nanoparticles are in the bloodstream they will be able to cross the blood-brain barrier.

Thirdly the human body has developed a tolerance to most naturally occurring elements and molecules that it has contact with. It has no natural immunity to new substances and is more likely to find them toxic.

The danger of contact with nanoparticles is not just speculation. Research has shown that some nanoparticles do cause lung damage in rats, while others have been shown to lead to brain damage in fish and dogs.

At the moment no one knows for certain how dangerous the many different types of nanoparticles are likely to be to humans. However it is important that we do not allow workers to be exposed to an unknown danger where effects may not be known for years, even decades.

These risks were highlighted in a report from the Royal Society which said 'nanotechnology offers many potential benefits, but its development must be guided by appropriate safety assessments and regulation to minimize any possible risks to people and the environment.' It also called for a tightening up of regulations.

The insurance company, Swiss Re has already been quoted as warning that the uncertainty about the risks that nanotechnology and nano-pollution pose means that they currently will not offer insurance to the industry.

Health and Safety Executives on nanotechnology confirm that employers should take a precautionary approach and ensure that workers are not exposed to nanoparticles. It states that 'as the risks arising from exposure to many types of nanoparticles are not yet completely understood, control strategies should be based on a principle of reducing exposure as much as possible.' The production and use of nanoparticles needs to be done within a contained process so that employees are not exposed to any potential unknown risk. Nanomaterials should be treated just like any other serious health risk. Unions have been alerted to act now to ensure that we do not have a rerun of the asbestos tragedy where hundreds of thousands of people were exposed to a killer dust that even today kills over 3,000 people a year.

A number of studies have shown that at least some nanoparticles can penetrate cells and tissues, migrate through the body, brain and cause biochemical damage, toxicity and in some cases have caused death. How these nanoparticles behave inside the organism is one of the big issues that needs to be resolved. Basically, the behavior of nanoparticles is a function of their size, shape and surface reactivity with the surrounding tissue. They could cause “overload” on phagocytes, cells that ingest and destroy foreign matter, thereby triggering stress reactions that lead to inflammation and weaken the body’s defense against other pathogens. Apart from what happens if non- or slowly degradable nanoparticles accumulate in organs, another concern is their potential interaction with biological processes inside the body: because of their large surface, nanoparticles on exposure to tissue and fluids will immediately absorb onto their surface some of the macromolecules they encounter. This may, for instance, affect the regulatory mechanisms of enzymes and other proteins.

At a mid-March fact-finding meeting at the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), researchers reported that nanoparticles are showing up in the livers of research animals, can seep into living cells, and perhaps piggyback on bacteria to enter the food chain.


Environmental Issues

Not enough data exists to know for sure if nanoparticles could have undesirable effects on the environment. Two areas are relevant here: (1) In free form nanoparticles can be released in the air or water during production (or production accidents) or as waste byproduct of production, and ultimately accumulate in the soil, water or plant life. (2) In fixed form, where they are part of a manufactured substance or product, they will ultimately have to be recycled or disposed of as waste. We don’t know yet if certain nanoparticles will constitute a completely new class of non-biodegradable pollutant. In case they do, we also don’t know yet how such pollutants could be removed from air or water because most traditional filters are not suitable for such tasks (their pores are too big to catch nanoparticles).

Health and environmental issues combine in the workplace of companies engaged in producing or using nanomaterials and in the laboratories engaged in nanoscience and nanotechnology research. It is safe to say that current workplace exposure standards for dusts cannot be applied directly to nanoparticle dusts.

To properly assess the health hazards of engineered nanoparticles the whole life cycle of these particles needs to be evaluated, including their fabrication, storage and distribution, application and potential abuse, and disposal. The impact on humans or the environment may vary at different stages of the life cycle.

Regarding to the risks from molecular manufacturing, an often cited worst-case scenario is "grey goo", a hypothetical substance into which the surface of the earth might be transformed by self-replicating nanobots running amok. This concept has been analyzed by Freitas in "Some Limits to Global Ecophagy by Biovorous Nanoreplicators, with Public Policy Recommendations" [1] With the advent of nan-biotech, a different scenario called green goo has been forwarded. Here, the malignant substance is not nanobots but rather self-replicating organisms engineered through nanotechnology.


Societal risks

Societal risks from the use of nanotechnology have also been raised. On the instrumental level, these include the possibility of military applications of nanotechnology (for instance, as in implants and other means for soldier enhancement like those being developed at the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies at MIT [2]) as well as enhanced surveillance capabilities through nano-sensors.

On the structural level, critics of nanotechnology point to a new world of ownership and corporate control opened up by nanotechnology. The claim is that, just as biotechnology's ability to manipulate genes went hand in hand with the patenting of life, so too nanotechnology's ability to manipulate molecules has led to the patenting of matter. The last few years has seen a gold rush to claim patents at the nanoscale. Over 800 nano-related patents were granted in 2003, and the numbers are increasing year to year. Corporations are already taking out broad ranging monopoly patents on nanoscale discoveries and inventions. For example, two corporations, NEC and IBM, hold the basic patents on carbon nanotubes, one of the current cornerstones of nanotechnology. Carbon nanotubes have a wide range of uses, and look set to become crucial to several industries from electronics and computers, to strengthened materials to drug delivery and diagnostics. Carbon nanotubes are poised to become a major traded commodity with the potential to replace major conventional raw materials. However, as their use expands, anyone seeking to manufacture or sell carbon nanotubes, no matter what the application, must first buy a license from NEC or IBM.

So what does this all mean and why would should you as a detailer or a car owner have concern about nano particles and polymers? Basically what it comes down to is a health and safety precaution. Nanotechnology has not had enough research to determine the potential health, safety and environmental hazards. In the automotive industry several car manufacturers have already begun using nanoparticle paint, glass, parts and interior components. If current information pertaining to nano particles as a health risk is correct, this coould mean that you are being exposed to a toxic substance that may result in illness or death.

Until more research has been conducted and Government regulations have been adopted requiring that manufacturers label products containing nano particles and identify which nano particles it does contain it would probably be wise to be cautious or not be in contact with nano products at all. For now, car detailers using chemicals, waxes and compounds should take extra precaution to avoid possible contact with free floating particles that could potentially enter the mouth, nose and skin. So what is the best method of protection? No one knows. There has not be any safety equipment designed yet to effectively protect against nano contact. The particles are too small for conventional respirators and possibly even gloves.

Until conclusive findings are made, Diamond Detailing will not will not knowingly engage in the use of any chemicals or products manufactured using nanotechnology as we feel we have a duty to protect our clients and ourselves.

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