Tag Archives: Fifth Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization Conference

Sustainable nanotechnology systems: a conference

The Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization (SNO) is holding its 2016 conference from Nov. 10 – 12, 2016 according to Lynn L. Bergeson’s Oct. 17, 2016 posting on Nanotechnology Now,

The conference sessions will be organized around selected “systems,” and sessions will be populated with talks on applications, effects and implications, analytical methods, and lifecycle aspects of nanomaterials within each system. The aims are to identity where nanomaterials and nanotechnology can improve the sustainability of each system and to foster integration of knowledge between applications and implications within each system.

Here’s more from the 2016 SNO conference webpage,

In these systems of interest, we ask how we are helping reach sustainability through nanotechnology:

  1. Food/agricultural systems: Precision agriculture; pesticide delivery, nutrient delivery, improved food packaging and preservation; food fortification; stabilizing soil; human health and environmental implications.
  2. Energy systems: Energy storage; generation by solar and wind; energy transmission; CO2 capture and storage; plant efficiency improvements; system controls; air pollution control in fossil systems
  3. Air/Water systems: Drinking water treatment; air pollution controls, wastewater treatment; groundwater remediation; pollution prevention; disinfection; decreasing the energy footprint of water treatment; distribution systems; source water protection; lowering demand for water in industry and households, air filtration systems.
  4. Industry/Manufacturing (in general, not just nanomanufacturing) systems: Lowering process energy requirements; using more benign materials; safety of nanomaterials compared to alternatives; substitution for renewable resources; pollution prevention; monitoring systems for manufacturing; lifecycle releases of nanomaterials and models to predict exposure concentrations; economic sustainability of nanotechnology.
  5. Solid Waste (especially E-Waste) management: Recycling of nanomaterials; resource recovery from landfills; improved quality of recycled materials; advanced waste management
  6. Environmental/Biological systems: Ecotoxicity; ecosystem responses to nanomaterial releases; improved monitoring tools, exposure routes and exposure models for consumers and the environment; models for environmental fate and exposures of nanomaterials.
  7. Health/medical systems: Diagnostic tools for healthcare; nanomedicine and improved drug delivery; models for nanotoxicity prediction/reduction
  8. Urban systems: Improving construction materials; building more sustainable residences and commercial buildings; improving energy systems for heating and cooling; improving transportation systems (including increasing fuel efficiency; decreasing weight of vehicles; building better catalysts)
  9. Education systems: Curriculum development for sustainable nanotechnology, case studies, materials development, informal education networks
  10. Social systems and governance: Upcoming laws and regulations; systems of governance of nanomaterials; social justice concerns; education; calculating and communicating benefits (and risks) of nanotechnology

This conference is to bring together scientific experts from academia, industry, and government agencies from around the world to present and discuss current research findings on the theme. The SNO Conference emphasizes not only the environmental aspects of sustainability but also the societal and economic sustainability issues. The conference program will address the above topics from both a fundamental and applied viewpoint.

The conference will also foster new collaborations between academic and industrial participants. This community of users, researchers and developers of engineered nanomaterials will provide a long-term, scientific assessment of where the science is for sustainable nano, where it should be heading, and what steps academics, government agencies and others can take now to reach targeted goals. In addition, the conference will serve as the platform for continued advancement of the research community and the Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization (SNO), a non-profit, international professional society dedicated to advancing sustainable nanotechnology through education, research, and promotion of responsible development of nanotechnology.

The conference is being held in Orlando, Florida.