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The successful use of nanotechnology in agriculture will only be possible with a concerted effort to overcome the challenges posed by policies and regulations that are not yet fit for purpose.
Fragments of plastic smaller than 1 μm have raised concerns about the potential risks they pose to the environment. Research will have to answer a number of questions to establish what the realistic risks are.
To assess potential risks posed by plastic nanoparticles, we must study the way in which they transfer and transform in the environment. Using 13C-labelled nanoplastics could provide a safe and effective way to establish whether the plastic is mineralized or whether it persists in the environment.
This Commentary discusses practical prospects of using electrical control of interlayer excitons in van der Waals heterostructures for high-temperature exciton condensation and valley–spin optoelectronics.
The new revisions of the Annexes of the European Union’s chemical legislation with regards to nanomaterials will provide more structure and clarity, but they will also force manufacturers, importers and downstream users to put substantial effort into understanding the details of what should and should not be done.
Initial studies indicate that consumer concerns about nanomaterial use in point-of-use water systems may be overestimated by manufacturers. Nevertheless, manufacturers should continue to focus on building consumer confidence in the safety of their products.