Nanoparticles Are Now in Everything, Including Humans
Nanotechnology, including nanosensors, are now in dust, air, rainwater, plants, soil, food, vitamins, supplements, healthcare, medicine, cosmetics, clothing, and inside the human body. Nanoparticles enter the body through inhalation, absorption into the skin, ingestion, and through medical or dental procedures.
Many engineered nanoparticles fall into the category of dual-use technology, meaning they are capable of more than one purpose or goal. It is, therefore, not surprising that humans are saturated with nanoparticles from all directions.
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles are one example of dual-use technology. They serve as semiconductors as well as food additives. TiO2 is the most commonly produced and ingested nanomaterial. In addition to food additives, it’s also used in cosmetics, personal care products, and many other products at the commercial level. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles accumulate orally, through absorption and through inhalation.
"Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a material with wide applications due to its optical and electronic properties. It is used as an ingredient in sunscreen lotions and food products, as a pigment in paints and as semiconductors in the photocatalytic degradation of organic compounds."
Iron oxide nanoparticles are another example of dual-use technology. Iron oxide nanoparticles can act as transducers. They are also found in food and medicine.
Bioinspired nanotransducers for neuromodulation
Nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, zinc oxide nanobelts, and silver-gallium nanowires used in a variety of commercial products can also be used for biological applications, biosensors, wireless technologies, RF communications, and more.
High Frequency Resonators Using Exotic Nanomaterials
The FDA has approved the oxide semiconductors Iron Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, Anatole Titanium Dioxide, and Rutile Zinc Oxide as food additives. When these are ingested, humans become the semiconductor as these enhance the body’s conductivity. More on this here.
Nanoparticles used in aerosol and sprayed into the sky are yet another example of dual-use technology. The following document on solar radiation modification aerosol spray discusses the "potential applications in biological, electronic, and quantum technologies.”
Diamond-doped silica aerogel for solar geoengineering
"Expert opinion: Aerosol-based technologies can be used to design nanoparticles with the desired functionality.“
Fabrication of aerosol-based nanoparticles and their applications in biomedical fields
Nanotechnology in dust
Smart dust create networks that contain sensors, computer software, wireless communication capabilities and have their own autonomous power supply.
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Dust in the Wind, Intelligent Dust, Sensors in the Air, Everywhere
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Future bio-nanotechnology will use computer chips inside living cells
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Wireless Recording in the Peripheral Nervous System with Ultrasonic Neural Dust
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Claytronics, smart dust, and utility fog: mind-blowing, shape-shifting, next-level tech
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Why “utility fogs” could be the technology that changes the world
Nanotechnology in air
"In the atmosphere, nanoparticles have fundamental importance for chemical and physical processes."
- Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research Atmopsheric Aerosol Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
There is a long list of nanomaterials used in weather modification/geoengineering. Some are capable of affecting the atmosphere while also building nanonetworks inside the human body. However, not all nanomaterials are self assembling once inside the body.
CIA Director John Brennan speaking on geoengineering and Statospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI), a form of Solar Radiation Mamagement (SRM).
Solar Radiation Management (SRM):
This is also known as solar engineering and involves reflecting sunlight back into space to cool the planet.
Inhaling nanoparticles as a result of Solar Radiation Modification (SRM) using stratospheric aerosol injections is discussed in the document below:
“Using available evidence, we describe the potential direct occupational and public health impacts of exposures to aerosols likely to be used for SRM, including environmental sulfates, black carbon, metallic aluminum, and aluminum oxide aerosols. We speculate on possible health impacts of exposure to one promising SRM material, barium titanate, using knowledge of similar nanomaterials.
Human exposures to materials used for SRM could occur during the manufacture, transportation, deployment and post-deployment of these materials. In this paper, unless otherwise stated, inhalation is the primary route of exposure considered.
Population exposures:
Due to atmospheric circulation and gravitational deposition, large-scale population exposures to atmospherically-injected SRM materials will almost certainly occur after their deployment. Population exposures could also occur through ingestion of food and water contaminated with deposited particles, as well as transdermally. Unlike occupational exposures, there has been virtually no research done to estimate ground-level personal exposures to SRM materials…
In contrast to occupational exposures, population exposures to SRM materials will be continuous and prolonged over months to years, but will likely be orders of magnitude lower than those experienced occupationally. Thus the health effects will be primarily chronic in nature. The use of PPE to reduce personal exposures to deposited SRM materials is not feasible on a population scale."
Nanoparticles Sulfur dioxide (SiO2) and Silicon dioxide (SiO2) as precursors in aircraft aerosol us in Solar Radiation Management (SRM):
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Multicomponent new particle formation from sulfuric acid, ammonia, and biogenic vapors
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The article below connects Solar Radiation Managment and Geoengineering to Blockchain. (Click here for more on Blockchain and how it connects with other aspects of the Biodigital Convergence.)
Geoengineering and the blockchain: Coordinating Carbon Dioxide Removal and Solar Radiation Management to tackle future emissions
Nanoparticles in cloud brightening:
This Scientific American article linked below about the same project reads, “The experiment is spraying microscopic salt particles into the air…” Note their misleading use of the word ‘microscopic’.
Researcher Pete Ramón points out:
“Microscale can never be nanoscale in terms of measurement. When non-scientific authors use micro- to describe nano- they're wrong, but when scientists in the field use micro- to describe nano-, it's intentionally misleading/confusing the reader. That said, nanomaterials can be coagulated/agglomerated/grown to create micro-sized materials. Also, creating nanomaterials from micro can also be done via techniques such as ablation and sonication.”
Geoengineering Test Quietly Launches Salt Crystals into Atmosphere (2024)
This article linked below reads, “Developing a new cloud-aerosol research instrument for use in small-scale field studies. This new research instrument generates controlled volumes and sizes of tiny, sub-micrometer seawater particles in sufficient numbers to increase the local brightness of low clouds in a marine environment"
Researcher Pete Ramón points out their use of the word “sub-micrometer” means by definition that it is nanoscale. If it’s in the nanoscale, we are talking about nanoparticles. Specifically, nanoparticles being released into the sky.
Marine Cloud Brightening Program
Salt particles ranging in size from 30-100 nanometers are the most effective for spraying.
“Factors determining the most efficient spray distribution for marine cloud brightening”
Nanoparticles in cloud seeding:
Water molecules in the atmosphere are too small to combine on their own to form cloud droplets. To form condensation, they need something larger to condense on (preferably flatter surface and at least one micrometer in size). That’s where cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) come in, otherwise known as cloud seeds.
Cloud seeds, or cloud condensation nuclei (CCN), are created by new particle formation (NPF), which are created by even smaller particles forming together.
“Nucleation” sums up this process, where extremely small aerosol particles form larger particles in the sky.
The scale of nucleation in the atmosphere ranges in the pico-/nano- scale of measurement. NPF may sometimes begin as tiny as picoparticles, build into nanoparticles, then cluster into bigger microparticles.
Atmospheric nanoparticles are referred to as Aitken nuclei by The American Meteorological Society (named after John Aitken).
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"It's easier for water vapor to condense into water droplets when it has a particle to condense upon. These particles, such as dust and pollen, are called condensation nuclei. Eventually, enough water vapor condenses on pieces of dust, pollen, and other condensation nuclei to form a cloud." Clouds and How They Form
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“There are two ingredients needed for clouds to form: water and nuclei.” How Clouds Form
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“The smallest long lived nanoparticles in the atmosphere (radius<2 nm) condense from evaporated meteoric material in the mesopause region (h~85 km).” KIT- Atmospheric Aerosol Research
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“Nanoparticles are a key component of atmospheric aerosols…” Atmospheric nanoparticles formed from heterogeneous reactions of organics
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“Atmospheric nanoparticles can be formed either via nucleation in atmosphere or be directly emitted to the atmosphere.” Overview of Sources and Characteristics of Nanoparticles in Urban Traffic-Influenced Areas
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The dependency of geoengineered sulfate aerosol on the emission strategy
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Modelling the size distribution of geoengineered stratospheric aerosols
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An invention for cloud seeding using nanotechnology, involving graphene oxide and silica dioxide nanoparticles: “3d reduced graphene oxide/sio 2 composite for ice nucleation”
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Scientists advance cloud-seeding capabilities with nanotechnology
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Using nanotechnology to accelerate the water condensation nucleation and growth for rain enhancement
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Patent: Laminar microjet atomizer and method of aerial spraying of liquids
"Releasing charge into natural droplet systems such as fog and clouds offers a route to influence their properties. To facilitate charge release across a wide range of altitudes and meteorological circumstances—such as developing clouds—a charge emitter has been developed for integration with the conventional cloud-seeding flares carried by crewed cloud-seeding aircraft. This allows charge emitters to be used alongside, or instead of, conventional particle releasing flares.”
"(a) Beechcraft King Air C90 aircraft modified for cloud seeding missions, showing a flare rack under the wing that carries up to 24 conventional seeding flares. (b) Installation of a flare emitter in the lowered flare rack."
Weather Modification Incorporated:
Plasmonics in aerosols:
What is plasmonics?
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Plasmonic gold nanorods are used in aerosols.
"...we experimentally demonstrate a plasmonic aerosol by transitioning liquid suspensions of gold nanorods into the gas phase"
Plasmonic Aerosols -
Plasmonic gold nanorods and their role in aerosols used in geoengineering are discussed here: Plasmonic aerosols
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Plasmonic aerosols in clouds: "About 2,650,000 results"
Ship Tracks:
Nanoparticles from sea vessels are released into the air in the form of “ship tracks”, streaks of clouds from shipping emissions that can reach several miles wide and several hundred miles long.
“‘Ship tracks' above the northern Pacific Ocean. These patterns are produced when fine particles from ship exhaust float into a moist layer of atmosphere. The particles seed new clouds or attract water from existing cloud particles. Image taken by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) onboard NASA’s Aqua satellite on July 3, 2010.” Quote and image credit
Fuel additives:
Nanoparticles in the form of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT), graphene nanoplatelets (GNP), and metal oxides such as cerium oxide (CeO2) are used in fuel additives for internal combustion engines in planes, buses and ships. This is another example of dual purpose technology. The nanoparticles in fuel combustion release nanoparticles in the exhaust.
Sulfur as a fuel additive to create aerosol in planes is discussed here. "Options for dispersing gases from planes include the addition of sulfur to the fuel, which would release the aerosol through the exhaust system of the plane, or the attachment of a nozzle to release the sulfur from its own tank within the plane, which would be the better option.”
Benefits, risks, and costs of stratospheric geoengineering
Covering the earth in aerosol- from particle to plume:
"Stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) is currently the most feasible climate intervention strategy and is being tested at ever increasing scales. It is critical to understand the global downstream impacts of these locally created interventions. However, in the finest detail, predictions require bridging scales from individual aerosol particles to large volumes of Earth’s atmosphere. Here the application of a novel discretization paradigm, the Eulerian-Lagrangian Point-Mass-Particle (ELPMP) discretization, is investigated as a method to model seeding, transport, and evolution of aerosols from injection-scale to Earth-scale impacts."
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Modeling Aerosol Transport for Stratospheric Solar Geoengineering: from Particle to Plume Scale
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An airborne perfluorocarbon tracer system and its first application for a Lagrangian experiment
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PFC Release Unit: Schematic of gas flow (left); Aircraft release module (right).
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An airborne perfluorocarbon tracer system and its first application for a Lagrangian experiment
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Developing a Plume‐in‐Grid Model for Plume Evolution in the Stratosphere
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An Overview of Geoengineering of Climate using Stratospheric Sulfate Aerosols
Resources devoted to the exposing of geoengineering:
“This interactive world map on geoengineering, prepared by ETC Group and the Heinrich Boell Foundation, sheds light on the alarming expansion of geoengineering research and experimentation. It builds on an earlier map of Earth Systems Experimentation published in 2012. That original map documented around 300 projects and experiments related to the field of geoengineering. Almost a decade later, more than 1,700 such projects have been identified- including past, ongoing and planned ones. When opening the map, only ongoing and planned projects are displayed, as well as those that have been completed or cancelled in the last five years. These include Carbon Removal and Solar Radiation Management as well as other geoengineering approaches. The map also contains Carbon Capture and Weather Modification projects. There is no complete record of weather and climate control projects so this map is necessarily partial.”
Interactive map of current geoengineering projects around the world
Nanotechnology in rainwater
Nanotechnology in plants
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Plant Nanobionics: Application of Nanobiosensors in Plant Biology
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The scientist who came up with the Plantenna: P.G. Steeneken
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Plantenna: towards a network of vegetation-integrated sensors for plant and environmental monitoring
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Plantenna: Using Plant Leaves to Increase Antenna Performance
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Biogenic and Anthropogenic Magnetic Nanoparticles in the Phloem Sieve Tubes of Plants
Nanotechnology in farming (including organic farming)
Nanofarming, precision farming, smart farming, plant nanobionics, and other such trends all incorporate the use of nanotechnology, including “organic” farming:
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Nanobionics in Crop Production: An Emerging Approach to Modulate Plant Functionalities
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Some Emerging Opportunities of Nanotechnology Development for Soilless and Microgreen Farming
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Nanofarming: Promising Solutions for the Future of the Global Agriculture Industry
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Cyborg Botany: Exploring In-Planta Cybernetic Systems for Interaction
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Challenges and advantages of electrospun nanofibers in agriculture: a review
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Nanomaterials in Organic Food? The USDA Is Looking the Other Way
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National Organic Program Leaves Door Open to Nanotechnology in Organic (2015)
Tower gardens:
Nanotechnology in food
This is one way it enters your body. Nanoparticles can breach the blood-brain barrier.
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An Overview of the Applications of Nanomaterials and Nanodevices in the Food Industry
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Microbiome-Gut-Brain Axis as a Biomolecular Communication Network for the Internet of Bio-NanoThings
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Application of Iron Nanoparticle-Based Materials in the Food Industry
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Outlook and Challenges of Nanotechnologies for Food Packaging
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Polymeric Nanocomposites and Nanocoatings for Food Packaging: A Review
Nanotechnology in food packaging:
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Nanocoating for Extended Shelf Life of Fruits and Vegetables
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Study Edible Nano-Coating Extends Shelf Life Of Perishable Food
“This study shows that a fraction of pharmaceutical/food grade titanium dioxide is absorbed systemically by humans following ingestion…In summary, we show here that a portion of ingested pharmaceutical and food grade TiO2, to which humans are very frequently orally exposed, is directly absorbed, as particles, into the blood stream of healthy volunteers.”
Pharmaceutical/food grade titanium dioxide particles are absorbed into the bloodstream of human volunteers
Nanotechnology in beverages
“The biodistribution study in major organs indicated that the NPs [nanoparticles] were easily accumulated in the digestive tract, and they were able to cross the blood-brain barrier and dispersed in the brain.”
Nanotechnology in vitamins and supplements
Nanotechnology in Nutraceuticals
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Advances in Nanofabrication Technology for Nutraceuticals: New Insights and Future Trends
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Organ-on-Chip: Advancing Nutraceutical Testing for Improved Health Outcomes:
Nanotechnology in Nootropics
Nanotechnology in tobacco
Nanotechnology in healthcare
Biomedical and healthcare applications relating to the Internet of Bio-Nano-Things (IoBNT) are discussed in the video below, such as floating nanosensors in the bloodstream that eavesdrop on molecular communication and report to devices outside of the body. The connecting of electronic and implantable devices such as brain implants, smart glasses, cardiac pacemakers, gastric stimulators, smart watches, insulin pumps, foot drop implants, and smart shoes with biological devices including artificial organs, engineered immune system cells, engineered gut microbes, and engineered tissue for regenerative medicine are also talked about.
The video also discusses how remotely controllable nanobots operate in the body, using nanotechnology and MEMS to engineer cells into biosensors, communication using Molecular Communication (MC), the making of “biological computers”, engineering the DNA of bacteria to create processors, and injecting memories into living cells by encoding the DNA of bacteria.
Dr. Bige Deniz Unluturk- Molecular Communication Platforms at Multiple Scales (video)
Biomedical Applications of Quantum Dots: Overview, Challenges, and Clinical Potential
Equipment:
3D bioprinting is used in the making of healthcare equipment (face masks, face shields, rapid detection kits, testing swabs, biosensors, and various ventilator components):
Injections:
Covid-19 shots contain self assembling nanotechnology. This is well documented and will be only touched on briefly given the large scope of this subject.
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Covid-19 injections based on graphene, nanonetwork and Internet of Nanothings (IoNT)
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Potential of graphene-based materials to combat Covid-19: properties, perspectives, and prospects
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The Perspective on Bio-Nano Interface Technology for Covid-19
The Covid shots were created utilizing 3D bioprinting with programmable shape-shifting nanotechnology enabled smart materials. See more here.
Other routes of injecting nanotech are talked about by Professor Ian Akyıldız. He discusses injecting remotely programable nano machines to help fight disease, complete with gateways and bio cyber interfaces with two way communication.
Science and Society Meetings - XI, Prof. Dr. İlhan Fuat Akyıldız, Georgia University
Nanobots that self replicate are used in chemotherapy, “vaccines”, gene therapy, and more:
Nano pharmacology/Nanomedicine:
The following two lectures describe ways in which nanoparticles enter human cells in relation to pharmacology:
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Translation of Drug Exposure Between Virtual Populations to Support Drug Development
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Cellular Uptake of Nanoparticles: Mechanisms and Consequences
“Currently more than 50 nanomedicine formulations have been approved for clinical use, as recently reviewed by multiple authors: These marketed nanomedicine formulations are approved for cancer treatment, iron-replacement therapies, anesthetics, fungal treatments, macular degeneration, and for the treatment of genetic rare diseases. Nano/microparticle imaging agents have also been included in the statistics. The majority of approved NP classes are represented by liposomes, iron colloids, protein-based NP, nano-emulsions, nanocrystals and metal oxide nanoparticles. The three new formulations mentioned in the previous section, not only show that the number of formulations approved are steadily increasing, but that new generations of nanomedicine are now reaching the market.”
Delivering the power of nanomedicine to patients today (2020)
Iron oxide nanoparticles can be introduced into the body through medicine. The following discuss medical applications of iron oxide in relation to pharmacology:
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“A Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Model to Predict the Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide”
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Materials Science for Nanomedicine: Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (2016)
Iron Oxide and Gold Based Magneto-Plasmonic Nanostructures for Medical Applications: A Review
"Plasmonic nanoparticles (NPs) are one of the most promising and studied inorganic nanomaterials for different biomedical applications… Herein, we review recently reported bioconjugated plasmonic NPs using different chemical approaches and loading cargoes (such as drugs, genes, and proteins) for enhancement of transdermal delivery across biological tissues.”
Bioconjugated Plasmonic Nanoparticles for Enhanced Skin Penetration
The use of gold nanoparticles in therapy for cancer treatment is discussed in this document.
“Targeted hyperthermia with plasmonic nanoparticles”
Smart pill from MIT monitors and medicates via Bluetooth
3D Printing of a Multi-Layered Polypill Containing Six Drugs Using a Novel Stereolithographic Method
CDRH Review of Medical Devices Containing Nanoscale Materials
Towards hospital-on-chip supported by 2D MXenes-based 5th generation intelligent biosensors
Homeopathy as Nanomedicine, Ayurvedice Nanomedicine, and Allopathic Nanomedicine, Nanoparticle herbs:
Traditional and alternative medicines are now being used in nanoparticle form, and may be included under the category of nano pharmacology.
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Ayurvedic Nanomedicine, Allopathic Nanomedicine, and Homeopathy
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Homoeopathy: A nano medicine (International Journal of Homoeopathic Sciences)
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Advances in Integrative Nanomedicine for Improving Infectious Disease Treatment in Public Health
Orthopedic implants:
Traditional orthopedic implants now include nanotechnology. Specifically, implantable sensors- a variation of Internet or Bio-Nano-Things (IoBNT). 4D bioprinting is utilized.
The Homeland Defense & Security Information Analysis Center (HDIAC), which is part of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Information Analysis Center (IAC), talks about implantable nano sensors in the following webinar:
HDIAC Webinar - Bringing the Hospital to the Patient: Advances in Implantable Nano Sensors
Dr. Tom Webster, professor of chemical engineering at Northeastern University, talks more about implantable nano sensors in this brief video:
Nanotechnology in dentistry
Dental implants:
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“In biological dentistry, every metal in the body is regarded as a kind of antenna for microwaves and other electromagnetic fields (EMF).”
How titanium implants act as antennas for electromagnetic fields -
Nanotheronostics: The unfavorable role of titanium particles released from dental implants
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Titanium levels in the organs and blood of rats with a titanium implant…
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"However, the chemical corrosions arising from interaction with the surrounding tissues and fluids in oral cavity can challenge the integrity of Ti implants and leach Ti ions/nanoparticles, thereby causing cytotoxicity."
Enhanced Corrosion Resistance and Local Therapy from Nano-Engineered Titanium Dental Implants
Nanotechnology in cosmetics
Many types of nanomaterials are found in cosmetics in increasing levels. They can absorb into the body from the skin.
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Role of Nanotechnology in Cosmeceuticals: A Review of Recent Advances
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Nanocosmetics Fundamentals, Applications and Toxicity: Micro and Nano Technologies
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Mycology-Nanotechnology Interface: Applications in Medicine and Cosmetology
Nanotechnology in clothing and fabrics
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IEEE: Emerging AI Technologies Inspiring the Next Generation of E-Textiles
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IEEE: How Can the Internet of Clothing Benefit Our Wellbeing and Environment?
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IEEE: Industry Connections and Standards Group for 3D Body Processing (3DBP)
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Energy Harvesting Powered Smart Fabrics- The Future of Fashion
Nanotechnology in Tattoos
Nanotechnology in Wastewater
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Graphene spiced-up anaerobic digestion substantially increases biogas production potential
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Nano-graphene induced positive effects on methanogenesis in anaerobic digestion
Again, we see IEC is behind this. Click here and here to see IEC’s framework for these systems.
Nanotechnology in everything
Nonetechnology exists now in nearly everything now - that’s their goal - to connect EVERYTHING.
Internet of Everything (IoE) - From Molecules to the Universe by Murat Kuscu