One of the arguments often used against nanotechnology is the health and environmental cost of nanoparticles. A conference in Switzerland last week highlighted the fact that nanoparticles are routinely produced in large quantities by a variety of sources, such as smelters and incinerators, but the biggest single source is diesel engines.
This latest article quotes an alarming figure of “up to 19,000 deaths” which could be avoided in Germany if particle filters were installed on exhaust systems. As usual, well take these numbers with a pinch of salt until we know where they came from, and over what timescale (19,000 deaths a year is very different from 19,000 over the next 50 years).
In contrast, some 1.2 million (or 3,000 per day) people are killed by vehicles every year, and 4.9 million a year die due to smoking.