Municipal Water and Nanoscale Particles

What is a nanoparticle?

A nanometer is one billionth of a meter, 3,000 times smaller than a red blood cell. Particles of this size are already found in our everyday water, but these elements are practically impossible to detect.

Some are already recognized as toxic and dangerous to our health. We are heading toward a technological tsunami that no one has under control at present.

Yet nanoparticles, once properly controlled, will probably revolutionize many fields, particularly healthcare and medications.

What do the authorities say?

In 2010, ANSES recommended applying the precautionary principle to nanomaterials and better oversight of their use. Today, it is going even further by calling for the inclusion of nanomaterials in the European CLP framework (classification, labeling, and packaging) for hazardous chemical substances. The goal is to improve the traceability of these nanomaterials intended for incorporation into consumer products and to better target risk assessment. Be careful ! These particles do not all behave like conventional chemical molecules and do not produce the same reactions in our bodies. In addition, it is essential to implement special precautions for workers who handle them.

In 2012, France placed 500,000 tonnes of nanoparticles on the market, including 220,000 from imports. Carbon black used in tire manufacturing alone accounted for approximately 250,000 tonnes (source : DNA, “ Nanomaterials : a danger ? ”, May 16, 2014).

And yet...

Manufacturers do not need to declare or prove the safety of the particles they manufacture as long as they stay below one tonne produced per year. Thus, if 1,000 producers each manufacture 999 kg/year, that still amounts to 999,000 kg of nanoparticles per year that can circulate in nature and end up in water without any oversight. No one knows whether these nanoparticles are dangerous to humans, but we already know that some cosmetic creams containing them had to be withdrawn from the market, because they caused multiple allergies. Indeed, these particles, smaller than the pores of the skin, ended up in the bloodstream. They can also cross cell membranes and even reach our brains.

Conclusion

For this reason and all those discussed in our other articles, we recommend that everyone filter their water from faucets, springs, or wells ; the best solution for doing so is unquestionably reverse osmosis.

Discover our range of reverse osmosis systems