Sustainable Nanotechnology - Группа авторов

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agriculture, and for every industry, in general. Thus, by controlled utilization of NT for environmental sustainability, it can be developed as GNT technology for sustainable development.

      It is argued that the dream of realizing Global SDG of the United Nations is possible through the proper use of technologies. In this process, two mega technologies, NT and ICCT, have potential abilities and if used systematically by every participating country can reach the goal.

      NT, being a mega technology with many branches including Nanomaterials Development Technology, Nanomechanics Technology, Nanoelectronics Technology, Nanophotonics Technology, Nanobiotechnology, and Nanomedicine, is considered as a general‐purpose technology of the twenty‐first century. NT has expected to change the rules of development games in many areas including agriculture and food industry, drinking water systems, efficient automobiles, renewable energy systems, high‐speed optical computers, low‐cost durable shelters, embedded intelligence, space vehicles, health and medical solutions, etc.

      Similarly, ICCT being a mega technology supports many innovative general‐purpose technologies which are going to change the business models of almost every industry. ICCT underlying technologies are supporting total automation of primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary industries by creating artificial intelligence to replace human beings totally, ubiquitous 3D printing through internet of things (IoT) and cloud computing, optimum business model creation through data science and business analytics, online education, retailing, entertainment, social connections through virtual and augmented reality, and high‐speed processing of information supports the total transformation of society by changing the lifestyle and comfortability levels of individuals. ICCT allows human beings to become ubiquitous and total automated products and services for individuals and hence acts as a pillar of social, technological, and economical transformation.

      Though NT has innumerable benefits including improved manufacturing methods, improved environment, and water purification systems, efficient renewable energy systems, physical systems property improvement, and performance enhancement, optimization of health problems through nanomedicine, better food production methods, and enhanced nutrition in food, large‐scale infrastructure auto‐fabrication through self‐replicating machines, etc., if not handled properly with creating proper awareness and precautions may have potential disadvantages in terms of risks to the health of living beings, environment, social life, and economy of the countries. Some of the issues related to health, environment, social, economic, and a newly predicted effect called green goo are discussed below:

      3.7.1 Health‐Related Risks

      Nanomaterials are expected to show toxicity effects that are not associated with larger particles. For example, even inert elements like gold become highly active at the nanometer dimensions. Size is a key factor in determining the potential toxicity of a particle. However, it is not the only important factor. Other properties of nanomaterials that influence toxicity include chemical composition, shape, surface structure, surface charge, aggregation and solubility, and the presence or absence of functional groups of other chemicals. The inhaling of nanoparticles due to their size may mainly cause the toxic effect of damage to the lungs and sometimes they may reach to the bloodstream and are predicted to cause heart problems. The ingestion of nanoparticles into the human body may also become toxic and lead to various diseases including colon cancer, Crohn's disease, arrhythmia, asthma, lung cancer, autoimmune diseases, neurological disease, etc. Only little is known about the ill‐effects of nanoparticles on the living body and further study, as well as precautions, are essential.

      3.7.2 Environmental Related Risks

      The unused nanoparticles or waste nanomaterials during synthesis may agglomerate into larger particles or longer chains with modified physical and chemical properties, which may expose to the environment and may enter the human body and spread toxicity. Unused silver nanoparticles if mishandled may contaminate sewage sludge and affect the microorganisms of soil of agricultural fields. The silver nanoparticles show a toxic effect on fishes and other marine animals in the ocean. Silver nanoparticles at high concentrations may be toxic at high concentrations. Thus, it is assumed that nanotechnological products, processes, solutions, and different applications may affect significantly to the environment and climate. Thus, nanoparticles are likely to be more toxic due to their particle size, surface charge, and characteristics compared to bulk materials and hence may pose a risk to the environment.

      3.7.3 Social Risks

      NT supports new and easy solutions to many problems in agricultural, food processing, renewable energy, and healthcare sectors and removes many existing jobs through improved and automated technology used in manufacturing and service sectors which contribute to loss of manufacturing and agricultural jobs. Such mass loss of jobs in primary and secondary sectors creates social inequalities. NT will enable micro supercomputers on a very small scale, detection of minute amounts of substances, rapid analysis of genomes, and implantation of microchips into humans may lead to a darker side of violation of privacy. Though NT supports surveillance using nano‐sensors extremely small cameras, people be afraid of the security and privacy of individuals by tracking their location and their instantaneous behavior. Such a negative perception of NT in society may result in questionable marketing decisions and hindrance in the speed of technology acceptance.

      3.7.4 Economic Risks

      NT supports huge agricultural production, artificial food at low cost, renewable energy for everyone, low‐cost shelter, long life automobiles, low‐cost healthcare services, and these innovations in the society leads to economic market crashes due to potential lower demand to oil and gas resources as well as due to crashed market for precious metals like silver, gold, or diamonds, etc. due to artificial reproduction of such things using molecular manipulation techniques. All this leads to crash of economic market and hence many industry performances.

      3.7.5 Predictive Green Goo

      Another potential danger predicted recently due to NT advances is that with time progress with NT advancement, a stage may reach where nanobots will become commonplace in society, and with artificial intelligence technology, these nanobots may develop their own intelligence and replicate in an uncontrolled manner such a way that one day the earth may overrun by these nanobots. This hypothetical situation is called a gray goo effect. Alternatively, one day, there is a risk on the entire planet that may be overrun by nanoengineered organisms called green goo.

      The above NT risks are in turn hindering the progress and investment of financial resources on NT research by many countries' governments.

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