The Need For Nanosafety To Ensure Human Health and Environmental Safety

Nanotechnology research has grown exponentially over the past decade, and increasingly nanomatarials find applications in commercial products ranging from sunscreens, wall paints to scratch-resistant sunglasses. nanotechnology development have led to significant advances across a broad range of electronic, medical and environmental applications such as nanosensor, drug delivery or tissue engineering and water treatment, environmental sensing and remediation.due to their odd shapes, high reactivity, size-dependent mass and volume and surface ratios of these materials, their effect on the living organism cannot simply be predicted. these unusual chemical behaviors also indicate an unknown amount of potential for health or environmental hazards.inhaled nanoparticles can be deposited through the respiratory tract and human lungs. nanoparticles can move through lungs to other organs, such as the brain, liver, and may enter the fetus. nanoparticles can enter the body along the surface of the skin, lungs and gastrointestinal tract. this may generate free radicals, which can cause cell damages followed by genotoxicity. in addition, they can cross the cell membrane of living organisms and may interact with biological systems. this has necessitated the development of place to harmonized research, regulation and governance on nanomaterial to ensure human and environmental safety.with regard to health, safety, and environmental concern of nanotechnology, iran nano safety network (insn) under the auspices of nanotechnology standardization committee of iran nanotechnology initiative council (inic) was established in early 2011. the goal of this network is to provide an appropriate environment for interested scientists, researchers and relevant institutions in the country to join the network with the aim of creating convergence in their activities in the context of specific plans managed by the network for the development of standards, guidelines, and regulations for safety and environmental issues of nanotechnology.