Potential Environmental Impacts of Nanoparticles Used in Construction Industry

Abstract

Nanoparticles are ultrafine particles having a size ranging between 1 and 100 nm. Recently, nanoparticles have had various applications in fields like electronics; construction, manufacturing, cosmetics, agriculture, purification, and medicine have increased. Nanomaterials and nanocomposites have distinctive properties (physical and chemical), which have resulted in their use in the construction industry to facilitate innovative applications. The heavily used nanoparticles in the building industry are titanium dioxide, carbon nanotubes, silica, copper, clay, and aluminum oxide. The rising use of these nanoparticles has led to numerous adverse environmental effects. Nanoparticles of carbon, including fullerenes, nanotubes, metal oxides like iron and titanium, and natural inorganic compounds, along with asbestos and quartz, have shown to have toxic effects on the human health and environment. As the size of the particle is very small, they can pass through various mammalian and plant cell membranes and can also be absorbed in them. They can cause various inflammatory reactions and fibrosis in higher organisms and can exert an antioxidant and cytotoxicity effect on unicellular. Numerous respiratory and cardiovascular diseases are associated with continuous exposure to nanoparticles. In this chapter, we are dealing with the various nanoparticles produced and used in the construction industry and their deleterious effects seen in flora and fauna.