الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract The term ―nanoparticle‖ is a mixture of the words ―nanos‖ and ―particulum‖. In the scientific, ―nano‖ primarily refers to a specific order of magnitude, namely 10-9. Nanoscale being the size range from approximately 1 nm to 100 nm. Nanoparticles (NPs) are not a product of modern technology, but are also formed by natural processes such as volcanic ash, ocean spray and mineral composites or forest fires. Ultrafine sand grains of mineral origin (e.g. oxides, carbonates) are naturally occurring nanoparticles. Thus introducing NPs with special physicochemical properties such as small size, large surface area to mass ratio, shape, crystallinity, surface charge, reactive surface groups, that confer them properties substantially unike from those of the bulk particles (Handy and Shaw, 2007; Li et al., 2011; Ling et al., 2011). The above properties give immense opportunities for the formulation of new NP industrial applications enhansing their worldwide distribution and increasing the environmental and human exposure (Iavicoli et al., 2013). |