Nanoparticles may have negative effects on environment and human health

October 8th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new mobile air research laboratory will help a team of researchers led by a Michigan State University professor better understand the damaging health effects of air pollution and why certain airborne particles - emitted from plants and vehicles - induce disease and illness. Jack Harkema, a University Distinguished Professor of pathobiology and diagnostic investigation in the College of Veterinary Medicine, will deploy the new 53-foot, 36,000-pound center - dubbed "AirCARE 2" - throughout southern Michigan, including metropolitan Detroit.

October 6th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists at the University of Leeds in the UK have proved that acid in the atmosphere breaks down large particles of iron found in dust into small and extremely soluble iron nanoparticles, which are more readily used by plankton in the world's oceans. This is an important finding because lack of iron can be a limiting factor for plankton growth in the ocean, especially in the southern oceans and parts of the eastern Pacific.

September 29th, 2009 MELBOURNE - Scientists from University of New South Wales in Sydney claim to have found the reason why long-term exposure to microgravity causes loss of bone density and muscle wasting in astronauts. They said stem cells exposed to microgravity express different proteins than those grown in normal gravity.

September 3rd, 2009 WASHINGTON - A team of scientists in California have announced the creation of a 'NanoPen' that can simplify the method of laying down patterns of nanoparticles-from wires to circuits-for making futuristic electronic devices, medical diagnostic tests, and other much-anticipated nanotech applications. Writing about their work in ACS' Nano Letters, Ming Wu and colleagues point out that researchers have already developed several different techniques for producing patterns of nanoparticles, which are barely 1/50,000th the width of a human hair.

August 19th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Scientists have found that naturally occurring organic matter in water and sediment appears to play a key role in helping microbes convert tiny particles of mercury in the environment into a form that is toxic to most living creatures. According to Duke University environmental engineers, this finding is important because it could change the way mercury in the environment is measured and therefore regulated.

August 6th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study raises the possibility that flies and other insects that encounter nanomaterial "hot spots," or spills, near manufacturing facilities in the future could pick up and transport nanoparticles on their bodies, transferring the particles to other flies or habitats in the environment. The study, by David Rand and Robert Hurt and colleagues, notes that emergence of a nanotechnology industry is raising concerns about the potential adverse health and environmental effects of nanoparticles.

July 28th, 2009 LONDON - By combining two nanoparticles in one tiny package, University of Washington researchers have created a Swiss Army knife of sorts for medical imaging and therapy. The multipurpose nanotechnology tool could perform wide range of medical uses - imaging tumours, carrying drugs, delivering pulses of heat.

July 11th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Instead of batteries, artificial muscles driving robots or prosthetic limbs might soon be powered by a kind of alcohol that can make people blind, say researchers. "You can imagine robotic soldiers fighting ahead of human soldiers and getting a drink of alcohol to fight on," Live Science quoted materials scientist, Ray Baughman director of the University of Texas at Dallas NanoTech Institute as saying.

July 9th, 2009 LONDON - Scientists have developed a film that exploits the colour-changing ability of nanoparticles, and can make it possible to create documents that wipe themselves clean after they've been read. Northwestern University researchers in Evanston, Illinois, have revealed that they made the film by coating gold nanoparticles with a layer of hair-like molecules called 4-(11-mercaptoundecanoxy)azobenzene (MUA).

June 21st, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new research has called for measures to enable safe design of nanomaterials because of the increased likelihood of people coming into direct contact with these materials in recent times. The recent explosion in the development of nanomaterials with enhanced performance characteristics for use in commercial and medical applications has increased the chances of people coming into direct contact with these materials.

May 25th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Fogged-up car windshield is a safety hazard and a nuisance that affect millions of people. Existing technology, including sprays that must be reapplied to stay effective, has many drawbacks.

May 8th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Losing your job can make you ill, says a new study conducted in this age of pink slips. If you do manage to find a new job quickly, you still face a heightened risk of developing hypertension, heart disease, heart attack, stroke or diabetes, stemming from the early job loss.

April 23rd, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study on radiologists has suggested that playing baroque classical music in the reading room can help improve mood and productivity. The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, MD, Harbor Hospital in Baltimore, MD, and the University of Pennsylvania Health System in Philadelphia, PA.

March 27th, 2009 WASHINGTON - In a new report, scientists have determined that nanoparticles in cosmetics, sunscreens, and hundreds of other personal care products may be harmful to the environment. Their report was part of symposia that included almost two dozen papers at the 237th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society where scientists grappled to understand the environmental and human health effects of nanotechnology.

March 14th, 2009 WASHINGTON - A new study has determined that human-generated sounds significantly affect the lives of aquatic animals, from the individual animal's well-being, right through to its reproduction, migration and even death of some species. The study, led by Dr.