NEW NANO TECHNOLOGY APPREHENSIONS-FOOD SAFETY COMPROMISED?

Nano technology, being hailed as a new path breaking human achievement in the field of applied science, is lately receiving attention for all wrong reasons. While the advantages that accrue to the industry are infinitesimal, uncertainties regarding its adverse impact on human health are coming in the way of its open use by many industrial sectors. The fact that nano technology has never been approved by any public agencies in the world, especially in food area, further explains the reluctance for open arm acceptance across the industrial spectrum. While nano particles contained in many consumer products other than foods may be assumed to be reasonably safe, what is uncertain is regarding the impact of these very nano particles on the environment and agriculture. A recent report, claiming that nano particles of Zinc Oxide and Cerium Oxide, contaminating the soil through sewage and other waste water sources definitely affect adversely the growth and productivity in Soybean plant, is some what disturbing. Here is a take on this alarming issue.

"Zinc oxide nanoparticles enter agricultural fields through the application of biosolid (sewage sludge) fertilizers, which are composed of dried microbes previously used to process waste water in treatment plants. Researchers discovered that soybean plants grown in soil containing zinc oxide particles bioaccumulate zinc, taking up the metal and distributing it throughout edible plant tissue. This caused a decrease in the food quality of the soybeans, and researchers indicate that it is uncertain whether the zinc that accumulates in the plant's tissues is safe for human consumption in the form of ions and salts. "Juxtaposed against widespread land application of waste water treatment biosolids to food crops, these findings forewarn of agriculturally associated human and environmental risks from the accelerating use of MNMs [manufactured nanomaterial]," the study notes. Cerium oxide nanoparticles can contaminate agricultural fields through exhaust fumes from farm equipment, a likely scenario given that most all conventional soybean crops are produced with the help of industrial machinery. Soybean plants exposed to cerium oxide show a notable reduction in plant growth and yield. Though the cerium oxide particles did not bioaccumulate in plant tissues, they did have a considerable effect on the ability of soybeans to fix nitrogen, an important ecological function specific to leguminous crops. The nanomaterial concentrated at the root nodules of the plant, blocking its ability to form a relationship with the symbiotic bacteria that convert nitrogen in the air to plant-available ammonium fertilizer. The impacts of nanoparticles could lead conventional farmers to apply increasing amounts of synthetic fertilizers to make up for the loss of this natural function. The results of this study underline the urgent need for oversight and regulation of emerging nanotechnology. While the U.S Environmental Protection Agency is required to limit industrial metal discharge into public waste water treatment plants, there are currently no regulations curtailing the release of metal nanoparticles. Researchers explain, "MNMs — while measurable in the waste water treatment plant systems — are neither monitored nor regulated, have a high affinity for activated sludge bacteria, and thus concentrate in biosolids." According to the scientists, "There could be hotspots, places where you have accumulation, including near manufacturing sites where the materials are being made, or if there are spills. We have very limited information about the quantity or state of these synthetic nanomaterials in the environment right now. We know they're being used in consumer goods, and we know they're going down the drain." Nanotechnology is a relatively new technology for taking apart and reconstructing nature at the atomic and molecular level. Just as the size and chemical characteristics of manufactured nanoparticles can give them unique properties, those same new properties –tiny size, vastly increased surface area to volume ratio, high reactivity– can also create unique and unpredictable human health and environmental risks. Many of the products containing nanomaterials on the market now are for skin care and cosmetics, but nanomaterials are also increasingly being used in products ranging from medical therapies to food additives to electronics. In 2009, developers generated $1 billion from the sale of nanomaterials, and the market for products that rely on these materials is expected to grow to $3 trillion by 2015".
It is known that the industry in general is investing large sums of money on research in the area of nano technology though no where in the world its application is approved by safety authorities. Also true is the current practice by many industries in surreptitiously using nano technology having realized its advantages to design better performing products. But if adequate basis exists for suspecting its safety credentials, there must be universal agreement to suspend its use immediately pending further studies to understand the implications fully. By all means any technology that is beneficial to society must be adopted if the benefits accruing from it far outweigh any inherent risk that may be apparent.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

"NANO" CONTAMINANTS IN SOIL- A MEGA SAFETY PROBLEM IN THE MAKING?

Nano technology has emerged as a major breakthrough for many industries because of its ability to deliver designer materials to well defined targets, overcoming normal physical barriers. Though no where in the world its safety has been established conclusively, in absence of any regulatory mechanism, there is an unwritten understanding that the technology can be used without any consumer knowing about it! Food industry is eagerly looking forward to use Nano technology in processing as and when regulatory approvals are forthcoming. There are a few alarming reports about the potential harm nano particles can cause to human beings because of the ability of nano particle chemicals to pass through the cell membrane and the unpredictable consequences of such a scenario on human health. A problem of a different dimension has recently been highlighted by health experts regarding the impact of unanticipated nano size contaminants in soil like Zinc Oxide and Cerium Oxide coming from industrial effluents on the soil productivity and food safety. Here is a critique on this emerging issue.  

STAR researchers at the University of California Center for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology, have published an article in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showing that manufactured nanoparticles in agricultural soil can accumulate in plants and can  affect plant growth and food quality.  This was the first major study of soybeans grown in manufactured nanomaterials-tainted soil. The researchers looked at the effects of zinc and cerium oxides. Nano materials, used in everything from lotions and makeup to fuel additives can be transported into air, water and soil and can impact plant growth and food quality.  Soil contamination may come from the final stage of waste water treatment which creates biosolids, which are applied to soils in many parts of the U.S. This solid material fertilizes the soil, returning nitrogen and phosphorus that are captured during waste water treatment but is also a point at which zinc oxide and cerium oxide can enter the soil. Cerium oxide may also contaminate soils from air deposition as a combustion biproduct. The researchers found that zinc oxide accumulated in the plants grown in the tainted soil and affected food quality although it may not be harmful to humans if the zinc is in salt or ion form in the plant. The cerium oxide however stunted plant growth, affecting the root nodules where bacteria symbiotically convert nitrogen in the air to a form plants can use. The researchers conclude there is a high probability of nanoparticles in crop soil but more research is necessary to determine impact on crops and consumers.  This research was co-funded by EPA and NSF.
It is true with any technology that both good and bad aspects will have to be considered before mass application. Genetic Engineering, food irradiation, use of chemical preservatives and antibiotics etc are all beautiful technologies of immense benefit to the consumers but safety of their applications under all conditions must be established before wide scale use. Same holds good for Nano technology also with opinions differing widely among the scientists. Unofficial use of Nano technology in non-food applications was ignored so far because the nano sized particles used by the non-food industry does not cause any direct dangers to humans. But the new revelation that these dangerous particles can end up in food crops through cultivated soil raises the bar vis-a-vis unrestricted use of Nano technology in any field without properly assessing the consequences.  

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com