Environmental Engineering Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Environmental Engineering - Research Paper Example Additionally since 1990, the number of patents for nanoparticle products has doubled every two years (Chalew, and Schwab 2). The emergence of engineered nanoparticles have resulted a new class of environmental contaminant and a new field of study sometimes termed as Nanotxicology. Nanotxicology investigates the nanoparticles related concerns both on human health and environment (Haynes 9). In last couple of decades, though the nanotechnology greatly improves the efficiencies of many sectors of science and technology yet studies have shown that rapid increase in nanoparticle materials have potential health and environmental implications. They have considerable toxicological pollution impacts on environment particularly due to their uncertain shape, size, and chemical compositions (Zhang, et al. 1). The particular health concerns are about the use of nanoparticles based products like cosmetics form where nanoparticles free to react with people and environment. Unfortunately very limite d research work is available in this regards. In view of available research information leading scientists and organization across the globe are calling for the regulation of nanoparticles in consumer goods until the longer-term impacts on human health and the environment are better understood (Livingstone 1). Currently there are no specific federal standards that regulate the maximum contamination level to food product including the drinking or ground water and only existing certain federal statutes are applied that monitor the maximum contamination of nanoparticle materials. Most of the existing nanoparticles containing cosmetics and drugs products fall under the regulations of Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA). Similarly Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) is used to regulate nanomaterial those are considered chemicals. It is believed that during all three phases’ i. e. production, usage, and disposal of a nanoparticles containing consumer product, nanoparticles are likely to enter surface waters. Highly sensitive instrumentation research reveals the presence of nanoparticles in surface and drinking water samples from yet the source of such particles are still unknown (Wigginton, et al., 1306). Although the probability of nanoparticles to go into surface waters, and subsequently drinking water sources, is high, yet the technology to investigate and separate the nanoparticles from ordinary drinking water through conventional water treatment processes such as coagulation, flocculation and sedimentation, is still at it infant stage. Few studies have done in this regards show that the removal of nanoparticles through conventional treatment is highly dependent on water characteristics such as pH, natural organic matter (NOM) content, and salt composition etc. These factors greatly influence the size, aggregation, dissolution, and stability of nanoparticles in the water. Though the study to probe the effect of ingested nanoparticles is still at i ts initial stages yet whatever research has been done in this regards through in vitro and in vivo experiments indicates that there are adverse health effects from exposure to nanoparticles. The concept of partitioning between living tissues is also applied to nanoparticles materials. Studies have shown that at the cellular level as nanoparticles accumulate, they may release ions that can directly impact

An Analysis of Gish Jen's use of the American Dream in her novel Essay

An Analysis of Gish Jen's use of the American Dream in her novel Typical American - Essay Example The latter abstract phenomenon reveals the secret of American success: immolation of morals in the name of prosperity. Gish Jen's characters, Chinese immigrants, are between two cultures as between the devil and the deep sea, between familial dreams and their own thirst for self-definition, between the Old World traditions and shiny, new dreams of the New World. Chang family are perpetual outsiders, connoisseurs of the strange, sometimes mysterious aspects of the world around them and the odd, surprising ways in which race and discrimination and family history can confuse their sense of individuality. Chang family seems to be stumbling on the edge of American phenomenon, the identity crisis (Kakutani). As newcomers to America, they take this country's chance seriously, a prospect that would cause both liberating freedom and discord. Ralph is the main character, whose ideals were being changed in the process of the novel. He left for America to earn an engineering degree, but he wanted to preserve all the seeds of Chinese way of life. In his mind Ralph surely discarded all tempts available for 'typical Americans' (food, women, entertainments etc) and he thought that he would never be involved into this vicious circle. Chang family mocks at American typicality of living; they make fun of Americans, who have more freedom and liberation, and 'typicality' becomes a kind of 'plague' for them. Nevertheless in the course of time, Ralph gets married, earns his doctorate in engineering, buys his first home, has two daughtersand becomes 'typical American'. Thus it's no wonder that his ambitions need release and Ralph becomes seduced in order to reach an American Dream. Ralph thinks that in America if "you have money, you can do anything. You have no money, you are nobody. You are Chinaman!" (Gish, 66). Suddenly Ralph gets 'a shot I the arm', finds an American-born con-man Grover Ding, who disrupts the harmony of Chang family lives and unties their relationships and provokes them to become "typical Americans". This man instills Chang's gluttonous materialism, marital betrayal, and personal fraudulence. Ralph is highly motivated by Ding's ideas and launches a fast-food restaurant, called Chicken Palace, which eventually fails. Fortunately, Chang family becomes united at the end of the novel and able to restore their initial morals, principles and traditions. A struggle between values In the characters of Ralph, Theresa, and Helen, Jen shows lives of immigrants as a struggle between old-world and new-world values; between good and evil. At first the main characters sacrificed their self-identities, got lost in the New World. In the U.S. immigrants run into changes of their Old World circumscribed roles. They have a subconscious responsibility to preserve at least some