Running head: NANOMATERIALS REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL BURDEN

Nanomaterials Reduce Environmental Burden

Hanqing Lin

Madonna University

ESL4230 Informative Paper (D2)

March 20, 2017

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Nanomaterial Reduce Environmental Burden

Nowadays, most countries focus on a big problem called environmental pollution. What

is environmental pollution? What bad situation they will cause? How much influence they have?

Scientists fund a material called nanomaterial to reduce environmental burden. In recent years

people add nanomaterial into their daily life. For example, many people buy a water purifier

which is made of nanomaterial and water factories add nanomaterial into water system. This is a

kind of micro material, so it is convenient and saves space.

To begin with, the quality of nature is reduced by human behavior, and nature can not

control pollution by itself. This is how environmental pollution happens. There is so much

pollution in modern cities such as water pollution and air pollution. When people throw away

garbage and factories discharge polluted water into the rivers or lakes, it will cause water

pollution. Then, the water is undrinkable. Some people cut down trees without regulation, and

that will cause soil erosion. Some cities without trees protection will have the problem of sand

storm. People can not go out and drivers can not see anything in this weather. People just stay at

home and wait for sand storm to pass. Obviously, through these things people knew the pollution

problems became more and more serious day by day. People think they need to find a green

material to prevent and limit environmental pollution. Then they try to use many materials to

find green materials.

Fortunately, in recent years, scientists use a new material called nanomaterial to reduce

environmental burdens. So the nanomaterials are very small. The author Luoma said that:

Nanomaterials (NMs) are a diverse class of small-scale substances that have structural

components smaller than 1 micrometer [1,000 nanometers (nm)] in at least one dimension. NMs

include nanoparticles (NPs) which are particles with at least two dimensions between
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approximately 1 and 100 nm in the nanoscale (2008.p.2). People have to see it by microscopes

and other special machines, because people cant use eye to see it.

This is a picture from my the size of nanomaterial report which was researched one year ago

Following that, nanomaterials are very helpful for the environment. It is not surprising

that pollution of natural waters has become a serious problem. Water and wastewater treatment

NMs have proved to be highly effective and less expensive when compared to traditional and

advanced treatment technologies. Currently we are using these NMs extensively for water

sources remediation because of their extraordinary properties, and they also allow fine control

over mass transport properties. (Zhang et al. 2009). Obviously nanomaterial is a good material;

it can influence the efficiency and cost of water system to clean polluted water, because of the
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fact that the extraordinary properties of nanomaterial. For instance, some helpful properties it has

are high surface volume ratio, reactivity, size, and surface chemistry.

These days, most families and companies in China choose to buy nanomaterial water

filtering machines, in order to clean the water to drink, take a shower or wash clothes. Not only

do they want to have a good lifestyle but also they want their children to have clean water to

drink while they grow up. It will reduce the risk of diseases. My dad bought a filtering clean

machine in order to get good quality water and installed it by himself. The size of this machine

was small and it was easy to install with tap. Normally, people get water through tap, and after

installing water filtering machine people can get cleaner water from another tap. If factories use

some nanomaterial water filtering machine to clean polluted water, it can help people to solve

pollution successfully.

Nanomaterial can be used to deal with water pollution, but also people can use it in other

places. Nanomaterials are play key roles in the green process and engineering by material

substitution, energy consumption reduction, source saving and sustainable development. The

use of nanomaterials can lead to significant savings in resources and increases of efficiency in

manufacturing and energy related applications. (Brar, Satinder Kaur 2015). This means that

when scientists want to invent some new high technology items nanomaterical can replace old

materials, then use nanomaterials to invent new item. On the other hand, because of the fact that

this material is cheaper than other material, it can help people to save money and economy. So,

nanomaterials have many advantages for environment and reduce the environmental pollution

burden. Its also very promising to improve the environment. For example, reducing wastes and

consumption of non-renewable natural resources, and cleaning up existing pollution. In these

years this material became popular and loved by scientists.

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Nanomaterial can be also used to reduce air pollution. In modern cities most people have

personal car, but how much pollution will be caused by a number of transports. As well as, the

government cuts down tress for construction and develop urban areas without care environmental

pollution, so there are many harmful micro substances in the air. Then people want to find some

ways to deal with it. The word of Zhao Xu, one of professor in Jiangxi college: If add

nanomaterial into petrol it will make car run longer distance than before and can reduce harmful

gas which is from automobile exhaust pipe. (P.2) Cities have not as many plants as rural areas,

adding nanomaterial into petrol is a good way to reduce environmental pollution burden. The

word of Xiaoxi Fu, Yafan Men & Shuaibin Zhang: If people move into a new house they might

brush their wall, it will have many kinds of harmful gases after they brush. But people can add

nanomaterial into oil color when harmful gas meets nanomaterial with photosynthesis,

nanomaterial will analyze the harmful gases and make the air cleaner. Then people can move into

their house with a good environment. (P.9) So, from the word of professor people can know

nanomaterials were used in our daily life and they are important roles. A large number of

scientists want to find out many ways to influence environmental pollution. In this century,

environment became more and more important for human, scientists want to catch this chance

and do their best to improve environment and make earth become more beautiful.

In conclusion, environmental pollution caused by human behavior, environment can

influence peoples lifestyle and quality. So far, nanomaterial is a highest efficiency material in

environmental protection engineering, it can help people to save resource and recycle waste item.

Following that, it can also reduce water pollution degree, make people get clean water and make

it cleaner. Finally it can solve air pollution, add it into petrol decrease harmful gas, and add it

into oil color which is used to brush wall, it can analyze harmful micro substance with
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photosynthesis. Although nanomaterial has some risk, it has micro shape, quality, and it can

reduce pollution burden. In recent years, using nanomaterial in peoples life is became an

unstoppable trend. Scientists love this environmental friendly material.

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References
Brar, S. K(2015) Nanomaterials in the environment. Retrieved from
http://site.ebrary.com/lib/madonna/reader.action?docID=11215353
Dean, C (2012) With Prevalence of Nanomaterials Rising, Panel Urges Review of Risks.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/26/science/nanomaterials-effects-on-health-and-

environment-unclear-panel-says.html

Fu, X. X. Men, Y. F. & Zhang, S. B. (2014). Application of nanotechnology in coatings Retrieved

from

http://wenku.baidu.com/view/ca96c0ec02d276a201292e17.html?from=search

Luoma, S. N. (2008). Silver nanotechnologies and the environment: Old problems or new

challenges? Retrieved from

http://www.nanotechproject.org/process/assets/ fi les/7036/nano_pen_15_ fi nal.pdf

Xu, Z(2011). Nanotechnology -- a new revolution of automobile industry. Retrieved from

http://wenku.baidu.com/view/b58776e819e8b8f67c1cb900.html?from=search

Zhang, T. C. Surampalli, R., and Lai, K. C. K. (2009a). Fate and transport nanomaterials in

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http://site.ebrary.com/lib/madonna/reader.action?docID=11215353