There is a general perception that nanotechnologies will have a significant impact on developing ‘green’ and ‘clean’ technologies with considerable environmental benefits. The associated concept of green nanotechnology aims to exploit nanotech-enabled innovations in materials science and engineering to generate products and processes that are energy efficient as well as economically and environmentally sustainable.
These applications are expected to impact a large range of economic sectors, such as energy production and storage, clean up-technologies, as well as construction and related infrastructure industries.
A recent review article in Environmental Health (“Opportunities and challenges of nanotechnology in the green economy”) examines opportunities and practical challenges that nanotechnology applications pose in addressing the guiding principles for a green economy. The authors provide examples of the potential for nanotechnology applications to address social and environmental challenges, particularly in energy production and storage (read more: “Nanotechnology in Energy“) thus reducing pressure on raw materials, clean-up technologies as well as in fostering sustainable manufactured products. The areas covered include:
- nanomaterials for energy conversion (photovoltaics, fuel cells, hydrogen storage and transportation)
- nanomaterials for energy storage
- nanomaterials for water clean-up technologies
- nanomaterials for the construction industry (read more: “Nanotechnology in the Construction Industry“)
These solutions may offer the opportunities to reduce pressure on raw materials trading on renewable energy, to improve power delivery systems to be more reliable, efficient and safe as well as to use unconventional water sources or nano-enabled construction products therefore providing better ecosystem and livelihood conditions. Conflicting with this positive message is the growing body of research that raises questions about the potentially negative effects of engineered nanoparticles on human health and the environment. This area includes the actual processes of manufacturing nanomaterials and the environmental footprint they create, in absolute terms and in comparison with existing industrial manufacturing processes (read more: “Not so ‘green’ nanotechnology manufacturing“).
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