sitem-insel AG

Nanomaterials in our daily life – from consumer products to medicine

Prof. Barbara Rothen-Rutishauser, Co-Chair BioNanomaterials, Adolphe Merkle Institute, Université de Fribourg

Today, nanotechnology is widely present in medicine and pharmacy, in agriculture and industry, and engineered nanoparticles have become highly prevalent in our daily lives. A wide range of nanoparticle types exist, each with a different physico-chemical property, size distribution and shape, allowing them to be used for a variety of unique purposes, e.g. targeted drug delivery, anti-caking, UV absorption, or coloring effects. An overview of the most used nanoparticles and products will be given, followed by a discussion about legal aspects and ethical concerns regarding the safety of nanoparticle use.