3. The impact of nanotechnology

3.1 Toxicity

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3.1.1 Danger and risk

Because of their size, nanoparticles and nano-sized structures have different properties to macroscopic particles and conventional materials. Surface effects become more important than volume effects. This increase in surface area leads to greater reactivity. So, while a lump of gold is practically chemically inert, a gold nanoparticle is highly reactive. When we consider the negative impact that an activity or object can have, we need to differentiate between danger and risk....