could be releasing nanoparticles from the products, which could ultimately lead to breathing and other health problems. Nanoparticles are tiny and can easily be inhaled, potentially leading to health issues.
The study also suggested that regular household items such as printer ink, toothpaste, and cleaning products could be sources of these nanoparticles. This discovery raises concerns about the potential risks of exposure to nanoparticles in indoor environments.
It is important for further research to be conducted on this topic to fully understand the potential health risks associated with nanoparticles in household products. This study sheds light on a new area of concern for indoor air quality and public health.
A recent experiment demonstrated that when a product containing nanoparticles was sprayed, any remaining particles on carpet and floor surfaces were stirred up and projected into the air, reaching a height of three to five feet. The study revealed that a child playing nearby would be more significantly impacted by this than an adult. “If an adult walks into the room and steps on these particles, we found that they will be lifted back into the air and reach the person’s breathing zone,” explained Gediminas Mainelis, a professor at Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences who oversaw the research.”A child playing on the floor inhales even more because the concentrations of particles are greater closer to the ground.”
Although the long-term effects of these particles on people’s health are still unknown, Mainelis stated that it is important to consider the results. “At this point, it’s more about increasing awareness so that people know just what they are using,” he said.
A nanoparticle is a tiny piece of material that is approximately between 1 and 100 nanometers in size. A nanometer is equal to one-billionth of a meter. The human eye can only see particles that are larger than ~50,000 nanometers. A sheet of office paper is about 100,000 na rnrn
Nanoparticles are tiny, with some only a few nanometers thick.
They are found in many common household items like cleaners, disinfectants, sunscreen, hairsprays, and cosmetic mists and powders.
Nanomaterials, typically made from silver, copper, or zinc, have become popular in industry due to their unique properties when manipulated at a microscopic level.
Researchers have discovered that particles altered at the “nanoscale” can have different properties compared to the material in bulk. Some nanoparticles are stronger or have different magnetic properties than other forms or sizes.Nanoparticles have unique properties that make them more efficient at conducting heat or electricity, as well as being more chemically reactive, better at reflecting light, or capable of changing color. When nanoparticles are compared to the same material in aggregated form, researchers are concerned that they may be more toxic, which could have negative effects on human health. Mainelis, a researcher who has been studying nanoparticles since 2012, emphasized the limited knowledge of potential exposure to nanoparticles from consumer products and the resulting health effects. Scientists have been familiar with nanoparticles for a long time.
According to Mainelis, it was previously known that pollutant particles on floors could be stirred up by walking. However, it was unclear if particles from consumer sprays using nanotechnology could also be stirred up, and the factors that influenced this process were not well understood.
Mainelis and his team set up a controlled chamber in a section of his laboratory with different types of flooring to investigate further. They used a small robot to imitate a child’s movements and walked on the surfaces themselves wearing special suits and respirators after using seven products containing nanoparticles of silver, zinc, and co.
Sprays were used to release nanoparticles into the air for testing. The results confirmed that the nanoparticles reached the area where humans breathe. It was found that children could potentially be exposed to higher concentrations of particles than adults when the sprays were used and when particles that had settled were disturbed. The study also revealed that particles from carpets produced a higher concentration than those from vinyl flooring. The researchers concluded that the concentration of particles released depended on the specific product being used. This research can help people understand how to better protect their health. MaineliThe study’s authors stated that this knowledge can be utilized in order to decrease our contact with various nanomaterials. The goal is to gain a better understanding of the resulting exposures and to support future research on reducing human exposure. Other contributors to the study were Jie McAtee, a postdoctoral associate, and Ruikang He, a doctoral student who graduated in 2023 and is now a postdoctoral associate in China, both in the Department of Environmental Science at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Science.
