1.5.2 Construction
The construction industry is a significant contributor to the world’s economy. According to the Global Construction Perspectives and Oxford Economics, China, United States, and India will experience an 85% growth in construction by 2030 [122]. It is important to consider enhancing the materials and functional properties of the construction [123]. Concrete, a predominantly used material in construction, is composed of several ingredients that have their own disadvantages. Nanomaterials can be used to alter and improve the properties of concrete. For example, adding nanosilica to concrete can improve its resistance to segregation, increases its strength of hardening, prevents calcium leaching, and decreases the ability to absorb water. In addition, using fiber sheets containing nanosilica particles and hardeners can increase the strength and durability of existing structures [124]. Some of the already mentioned nanomaterials, such as CNTs, can also be used to improve the mechanical properties of concrete [125]. During concrete production, the soil is endangered due to the carbon emission caused by the process. To prevent this, nano‐aggregate, such as C–S–H gel, can be added to concrete. This gel is able to breathe carbon dioxide into carbon and oxygen and decrease the amount of carbon emission [126]. Steel is another vital component of the construction industry due to its properties such as strength, corrosion resistance, welding ability, and low cost. The American Iron Steel Institute and the US Navy have developed steel with higher strength than usual by adding nanomaterials such as carbon nanoparticles and CNTs. This also makes the steel more cost‐effective [127].
1.6 Further Training
Although nanotechnology has various applications in the path to global sustainability, it has its risks and limitations that would need to be sorted out before any further development. The enhancement of agricultural methods with the help of nanomaterials has been discussed earlier, but its contribution to the food sector also generates some major risk factors. For one, the toxicology assessments for nanomaterials may not be sufficient enough. The current data from traditional assessments rely on mortality and sublethal endpoints. These tests are also time consuming, costly, and do not relay the data regarding delayed toxicity. The data from one of these assessments may generate a result of low toxicity, but how is that affecting the human body and the environment, in the long run, is not predictable from current methods of testing. Some have suggested using genomic and proteomic techniques for a faster and cost‐effective assessment of long‐term toxicity. However, these techniques do require the state‐of‐the‐art instrumentation [128]. When it comes to nanomaterials, the simple concentration and exposure time are not the only factors that determine its toxicity [129]. The unique properties of nanoparticles, such as size, morphology, and chemistry, could affect their toxicity. In addition, the functional groups and other contaminants present on the surface of these materials can also induce significantly greater toxicity effects than pure nanomaterials alone. These factors contribute to the necessity of redefining the risk assessments for any further nanotechnological developments [130].
1.7 Conclusion
The development of sustainability‐focused nanotechnology plays a major role in enhancing and improving the current mechanisms and technology and leads to the path of global sustainability. The use of nanoparticles in sectors such as medicine, food, environment, and industry certainly overcomes limitations, improves the field, makes it more cost‐effective, and minimizes the negative results that contribute to poor human and environmental health. For human health certain nanoparticles, such as CNTs, quantum dots, and nanosilica, have been used in medicine and agriculture to develop safer and cost‐effective technologies. For the environment, nanoparticles have been used to improve the air and water quality, minimize the negative consequences of the automotive and construction industry, and enhance the process of energy conversion, a field that will need to be developed further due to the constant decline in natural resources. Using nanoparticles certainly comes with the risk of toxicity, which will require further testing to create a set of centralized regulations for their use around the world.
The research done so far on nanoparticles is excellent in creating a fascinating path to a safer, cleaner, and more economically sufficient planet; however, as mentioned before, further assessments of the long‐term effects of the involvement of nanotechnology certainly needs to be done to make sure that the mistakes that were made before under the greed of operating new technology are not repeated.
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