Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology

Literature Review on (Environmental Policy) Nanotechnology

In the Encyclopedia of Public Administration and Public Policy, [1] Kirsten Rodine-Hardy offers the following summary about the topic of (Environmental Policy) Nanotechnology: Nanotechnology, the science of the very small, figures prominently in the study and practice of environmental politics and policy as an important technological innovation that brings great promise yet potentially high risks. The purpose of this entry is to describe and explain some of the problematic aspects of nanotechnology as a concept and an enabling technology, and to show how nanotechnology relates to key questions of environmental politics. The entry reviews some of the evidence behind some current theoretical debates, and characterizes governance of the nanotechnology sector as multilevel, but with gaps, both within and between important policymaking communities in North America, the European Union, and the developing world.

Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology is a field of science and technology that involves the manipulation of matter at a very small scale, the nanoscale. At the nanoscale (where 1 nanometre is only a billionth of a metre) matter exhibits chemical and physical properties which differ from the properties of bulk materials and single atoms or molecules. To better understand nanoscale, consider that a strand of human hair is about 75,000 nanometres wide, while a red blood cell is about 7,200 nanometres wide.

By working at this scale, scientists are developing a wide array of materials known as nanomaterials. These nanomaterials are now being used in a wide range of applications. In the health sector, the applications of nanotechnology impact new natural health products, medical devices, drugs and drug delivery systems, and diagnostic devices for detection and treatment of illnesses. In the food sector, nanomaterials could be used in food production, processing, preservation and packaging. Nanomaterials also find application in a variety of consumer products such as, office supplies (e.g. printer inks, batteries), personal care products (e.g. cosmetics and sunscreens), and other personal items such as electronics and sports equipment and workplace products (e.g. paints and coating).

Gobervenment bodies regulate a range of products and substances, some of which may either contain or be nanomaterials, including:

Health Products
Foods and Food Packaging
Consumer Products
Industrial Products
Pesticides

Resources

Notes and References

  1. Entry about (Environmental Policy) Nanotechnology in the Encyclopedia of Public Administration and Public Policy (2015, Routledge, Oxford, United Kingdom)

See Also

Further Reading

  • Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance (2018, Springer International Publishing, Germany)

Hierarchical Display of Nanotechnology

Production, Technology And Research > Technology and technical regulations > Technology
Industry > Chemistry > Chemical industry > Raw chemical industry > Advanced materials
Industry > Chemistry > Chemical industry > Electronics industry > Microelectronics

Nanotechnology

Concept of Nanotechnology

See the dictionary definition of Nanotechnology.

Characteristics of Nanotechnology

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Resources

Translation of Nanotechnology

Thesaurus of Nanotechnology

Production, Technology And Research > Technology and technical regulations > Technology > Nanotechnology
Industry > Chemistry > Chemical industry > Raw chemical industry > Advanced materials > Nanotechnology
Industry > Chemistry > Chemical industry > Electronics industry > Microelectronics > Nanotechnology

See also

  • Nanobiotechnology
  • Nanoelectronics
  • Nanomaterials
  • Nanoscience

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