Nano Sunscreen

Page
1

Slide 1

Nano Sunscreen

The Wave of the Future?

Modified slightly from the NanoSense web materials

Slide 2

Nano Products

Number of products using nanomaterials is growing very rapidly

Doubling every year?

Clothing, food and beverages, sporting goods, coatings, cosmetics, personal care

Sunscreens: many use nanomaterials

Some labeled as containing nanoparticles

Some not labeled

Slide 3

Slide 4

Why Use Sunscreen?

Too much unprotected sun exposure leads to:

Premature skin aging (e.g. wrinkles)

Sunburns

Skin cancer

Sources: http://www.oasishospital.org/previousnews.html; http://wohba.com/archive/2005_03_01_archive.html

Slide 5

Skin Cancer Rates are Rising Fast

Skin cancer:

Is ~50% of all cancer cases

Has > 1 million cases diagnosed each year

Causes 1 person to die every hour

Probability of getting skin cancer:

1930 : 1 in 5,000

2004 : 1 in 65

2050 : 1 in 10…

http://www.skincarephysicians.com/skincancernet/whatis.html; http://www.msu.edu/~aslocum/sun/skincancer.htm

Causes of the increase:

Decrease ozone protection

Increased time in the sun

Increased use of tanning beds

Sources: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8379291/site/newsweek/ ;

Slide 6

What are sun rays?

The sun emits several kinds of electromagnetic radiation: Visible (Vis), Infrared (IR) and Ultra Violet (UV)

Each kind is distinguished by a characteristic wavelength, frequency and energy

Higher energy radiation can damage our skin

Source: http://www.arpansa.gov.au/is_sunys.htm

High Energy Low Energy

Slide 7

Slide 8

The Full Electromagnetic Spectrum

Visible, Infrared and UV radiation are only part of the full spectrum of electromagnetic radiation

Source: http://www.mhhe.com/physsci/astronomy/arny/instructor/graphics/ch03/0305.html

Slide 9

The Sun’s Radiation Spectrum

~ 43% is in the visible range

~ 49% is in the near infrared range

~ 7% is in the ultraviolet range

< 1% is x-rays, gamma waves, and radio waves

.