Nanosilver: Breakthrough or Biohazard?

Overview

Karine Thate [4]

Description:

“Nanosilver: Breakthrough or Biohazard?” is a public presentation which introduces audiences to the increasingly frequent use of silver nanoparticles in consumer products. During the presentation, visitors are guided through questions such as: What is nanosilver? Why is it used in consumer products such as teddy bears and food containers? How safe is nanosilver, and how might it affect the environment? Visitors are engaged with samples of nanosilver products, various images and graphics that tell the story of nanosilver, and a demonstration that uses a plume of diet cola to show how particle size affects reactions.

Objectives

Big Idea:

Nanosilver is used in countless consumer products as an antimicrobial agent. It offers the potential benefit of killing dangerous bacteria, but its toxicity to fish and other organisms could impact the environment negatively.

Learning goals:

As a result of participating in this program, visitors will be able to:
Recognize that nanosilver products are already available for purchase.
Understand that silver is toxic to bacteria.
Define nanosilver as particles of silver small enough to be measured in nanometers, or billionths of an inch.
Understand that small particles of a material will often react more rapidly than large particles because of their large surface area.
Understand that nanosilver presents both potential benefits for people and potential risks for the environment.

NISE Net Content Map:

Nanoscience, nanotechnology, and nanoengineering lead to new knowledge and innovations that weren't possible before.

Nanotechnologies have costs, risks, and benefits that affect our lives in ways we cannot always predict.

Universal design:

Repeat and reinforce main ideas and concepts.

Provide multiple entry points and multiple ways of engagement

Credits

Developed for the NISE Network with funding from the National Science Foundation under Award Numbers 0532536 and 0940143. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this product are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.

Funding:

Development of this product was also funded by the Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center headquartered at Harvard, the Center for High-rate Nanomanufacturing at Northeastern University, U Mass Lowell, and University of New Hampshire, and the NISE Network, with support from NSF.

Owning institution:

Museum of Science, Boston [6]

Checklist

Scientist reviewed? check_reviewed

Peer reviewed? check_reviewed

Visitor evaluation? check_reviewed

Nano Topics

Audience

11 and up [9]

Permissions

[13]
Creative Commons
Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike

Catalog section:

Programs

What kind of program?:

Stage presentation

Nano topics:

Bio and medicine

Materials, tools, and applications

Audience:

11 and up

Content keywords:

Nanosilver

antibacterial

surface area

Highlight this product during NanoDays?:

K-12:

Resources

[3]

Download all files (ZIP) [3]

Files:

Nanosilver: Breakthrough or Biohazard? - Lesson Plan [14]

Nanosilver: Breakthrough or Biohazard? - Presentation [15]

Links:

Nanosilver: Breakthrough or Biohazard? - Training Video [16]

See FAQ #10 to learn more about downloading NISE Net video [17]

Video:

Evaluations

Comments

Nanosilver: Breakthrough or Biohazard?

Nanosilver: Breakthrough or Biohazard?

Description:

Big Idea:

Learning goals:

NISE Net Content Map:

Universal design:

Funding:

Owning institution:

Checklist

Nano Topics

Audience

Tags

Permissions

Catalog section:

What kind of program?:

Nano topics:

Audience:

Content keywords:

Highlight this product during NanoDays?:

K-12:

Download all files (ZIP) [3]

Files:

Links:

Video: