Safe Nanotechnology and Progress in the Workplace (updated)

Occupational safety and health issues of nanomaterials are complex. Because engineered nanomaterials are small yet have a relatively large surface area, they may have chemical, physical, and biological properties distinctly different from larger particles of similar chemical composition. Those properties may affect the ability of the nanomaterials to reach the gas exchange regions of the lung, cell membranes, and interact at the molecular level. The types of nanomaterials and the opportunities for workplace exposure to them continue to grow rapidly. The challenge is to effectively address safety and health issues of nanotechnology while helping society realise nanotechnology's far-reaching potential benefits. This book explores the issue of safe nanotechnology and progress in the workplace.