Running head: NANOMATERIALS REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL BURDEN

Nanomaterials Reduce Environmental Burden

Hanqing Lin

Madonna University

ESL4230 Argumentative Paper (D2)

April 3, 2017
NANOMATERIALS REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL BURDEN
2

Nanomaterial To Reduce Environmental Burden

Nowadays, most countries focus on a big problem called environmental pollution. What

is environmental pollution? What bad situation they will cause? How much influence they have?

Scientists found a material called nanomaterial to reduce environmental burden. So, are

nanomaterials useful to reduce environmental burden and are these materials harmful to

environment? In recent years people add nanomaterial into their daily life. For example, many

people buy a water purifier which is made of nanomaterial and water factories add nanomaterial

into water system. This is a kind of micro material, so it is convenient and saves space. People

profoundly believe that nanomaterial is a beneficial material, although there are some risks with

it. People think it can reduce environmental burden effectively and widely. My opinion

To begin with, the quality of nature is reduced by human behavior, and nature can not

control pollution by itself. This is how environmental pollution happens. There is so much

pollution in modern cities such as water pollution, air pollution and soil pollution. Second, what

kind of natural disasters will they make? When people throw away garbage and factories

discharge polluted water into rivers or lakes, it will cause water pollution. Then, the water

cannot be drunk anymore. Third, some people cut down trees without regulation, and it will

cause soil erosion. Some cities are without the protection of trees and they will have the problem

of sand storms. People can not go out and drive and can not see anything in this weather. People

just stay at home and wait for the sand storm to pass. Obviously, though these things people

knew the pollution problems became more and more serious day by day. People think they need

to find a green material to prevent and limit environmental pollution. Then they try to use

many materials to do some test, but it is no discovery of great importance.

NANOMATERIALS REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL BURDEN
3

Fortunately, in recent years, scientists have begune to use a new material called

nanomaterial to reduce environmental burdens. The size of nanomaterial is very small. The

author Luoma said that: Nanomaterials (NMs) are a diverse class of small-scale substances that

have structural components smaller than 1 micrometer [1,000 nanometers (nm)] in at least one

dimension. NMs include nanoparticles (NPs) which are particles with at least two dimensions

between approximately 1 and 100 nm in the nanoscale (2008.p.2). This is kind of micro

materials people can not use their eyes to see, only by microscope or other special machine, and

this material is cheaper than other materials.

This is a picture from my the size of nanomaterial report which was researched one year ago

It is not surprising that pollution of natural waters has become a serious problem. Water

and wastewater treatment NMs have proved to be highly effective and less expensive when
NANOMATERIALS REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL BURDEN
4

compared to traditional and advanced treatment technologies. Currently we are using these NMs

extensively for water sources remediation because of their extraordinary properties, and they also

allow fine control over mass transport properties. (Zhang et al. 2009). Obviously nanomaterial

is a good material; it can influence the efficiency and cost of water systems to clean polluted

water, because of the fact of the extraordinary properties of nanomaterial. For instance,

nanomaterial can influence high surface volume ratio, reactivity, size and surface chemistry.

These days, a number of people want to have a healthy lifestyle. Because of this most

families and companies in China choose to buy nanomaterial water filtering machines, in order

to clean the water and have a good quality of water to drink or take a shower or wash clothes.

Because of the fact that the machine which is made of nanomaterial is economical, most families

have the ability to buy it. Not only do they want to have a good lifestyle but also if children have

clean water to drink when they grow up, it will reduce the risk of diseases. My dad bought a

filtering clean machine in order to get good quality water and installed it by himself. The size of

this machine is small and easy to install on the tap. Normally, people get water through the tap,

and after installing a water filtering machine people can get cleaner water from another tap. If

factories use some nanomaterial water filtering machines to clean polluted water, it can help

people to solve pollution successfully; people think it will be beneficial to the environment. Then

the government can spend less money on solving pollution, which is caused by human behavior.

Nanomaterial can be used to deal with water pollution, but also people can use it in other

places. Nanomaterials play key roles in the green process and engineering by material

substitution, energy consumption reduction, source saving and sustainable development.

AuthorThe use of nanomaterials can lead to significant savings in resources and increases of

efficiency in manufacturing and energy related applications. (Brar, Satinder Kaur 2015). This
NANOMATERIALS REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL BURDEN
5

means that when scientists want to invent some new high technology items, nanomaterical can

replace old materials, then use nanomaterials to invent new items. On the other hand, because of

the fact that this material is cheaper than other materials, it can help people to save money and be

economical. So, nanomaterials have many advantages for the environment and reduce the

environmental pollution burden. It is also very promising to improve the environment. For

example, reducing waste and consumption of non-renewable natural resources, and cleaning up

existing pollution. In recent years this material became popular and loved by scientists.

Nanomaterials can also be used to reduce air pollution. In modern cities most people have

a personal car, but so much pollution will be caused by the number of vehicles. The government

cuts down tress for construction and develops urban areas without care for environmental

pollution, so there are many harmful micro substances in the air. Then people want to find some

ways to deal with it. The word of Zhao Xu, a professor in Jiangxi college: Adding nanomaterial

into petrol will make cars run longer distances than before and can reduce harmful gases which

are from automobile exhaust pipes. (P.2) Cities have not as many plants as rural areas, adding

nanomaterial into petrol is a good way to reduce environmental pollution burden. The word of

Xiaoxi Fu, Yafan Men & Shuaibin Zhang: If people move into a new house they might brush

their wall, it will have many kinds of harmful gases after they brush. But people can add

nanomaterial into oil when harmful gas meets nanomaterial with photosynthesis, nanomaterial

will analyze the harmful gases and make the air cleaner. Then people can move into their house

with a good environment. (P.9) From the words of the professors people can know

nanomaterials were used in our daily life and they play important roles. A large number of

scientists want to find out many ways to influence environmental pollution. In this century, the
NANOMATERIALS REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL BURDEN
6

environment became more and more important for people and scientists want to catch this

chance and do their best to improve the environment and make the earth become more beautiful.

In conclusion, it is so lucky for people to find out about nanomaterials. So far,

nanomaterials are high efficiency materials in environmental protection engineering, it can help

people to save resources and recycle waste items. Following that, it can also reduce water

pollution by a degree, make people get clean water and make it cleaner. Finally it can solve air

pollution: adding it into petrol decreases harmful gas, adding it into oil which is used to brush

wall, it can analyze harmful micro substance with photosynthesis. Although nanomaterials have

some risks, overall it is good for people, and in recent years, using nanomaterial in daily life is

became an unstoppable trend. Scientists think this is a good environmentaly friendly material in

the world.
NANOMATERIALS REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL BURDEN
7

References
Brar, S. (2015) Nanomaterials in the environment. Retrieved from
http://site.ebrary.com/lib/madonna/reader.action?docID=11215353
Dean, C. (2012) With Prevalence of Nanomaterials Rising, Panel Urges Review of Risks.

Retrieved from

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/26/science/nanomaterials-effects-on-health-and-

environment-unclear-panel-says.html

Fu, X. Men, Y & Zhang, S. (2014). Application of nanotechnology in coatings Retrieved from

http://wenku.baidu.com/view/ca96c0ec02d276a201292e17.html?from=search

Luoma, S. N. (2008). Silver nanotechnologies and the environment: Old problems or new

challenges? Retrieved from

http://www.nanotechproject.org/process/assets/ fi les/7036/nano_pen_15_ fi nal.pdf

Xu, Z. (2011). Nanotechnology -- a new revolution of automobile industry. Retrieved from

http://wenku.baidu.com/view/b58776e819e8b8f67c1cb900.html?from=search

Zhang, T. C., Surampalli, R., and Lai, K. C. K. (2009a). Fate and transport nanomaterials in

aquatic environments. VA, 474 557. Retrieved from

http://site.ebrary.com/lib/madonna/reader.action?docID=11215353