Nanoparticle Testing

Manufactured to be extremely small (one billionth of a meter), nanoparticles are generally defined as measuring around 1-100 nanometers in one dimension. Due to their small size, nanoparticles have biological, chemical and physical properties that differ from those of their larger counterparts. These altered properties have also created concern over public health and safety.

Uniquely positioned to help companies take advantage of the rapidly emerging potential of nanoparticles is EMSL Analytical, Inc. Our scientists and engineers harness the power of our diverse inventory of scientific instrumentation and expertise to identify and quantitate nanoparticles or carbon nanotubes. Services include chemical composition; morphology; particle size and distribution; and the presence as an environmental contaminant.

EMSL helps clients recognize the benefits associated with this dynamic market.

The National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) describes nanotechnology as “the understanding and control of matter at dimensions between 1 and 100 nanometers, where unique phenomena enable novel applications.”

Nanoparticle manipulation is rapidly leading to new materials, consumer products and applications in many different disciplines. A few examples of these include cosmetics, medicine, aerospace, energy and transportation. This technology and the resulting products are, and will continue to, impact almost every walk of life in some capacity. 

A challenge associated with nanoparticles is the potential for long-term health risks that are not well understood. Early studies have suggested that excessive exposure to nanoparticles could cause cell toxicity, lung damage, DNA damage and possibly even harm unborn children. So far, cosmetics seem to have been the most studied products for consumer production. Once the particles enter the human body, they can be absorbed into the blood stream, organs, tissues and even travel across the blood-brain barrier into the brain.

Due to these concerns, scientific communities across the globe have recommended that given the growing evidence of toxicity risks, more research should be done to determine the physical-chemical properties, routes of exposure, uptake and absorption, and toxicity thresholds.

EMSL Analytical’s corporate facility in Cinnaminson, New Jersey is your complete nanoparticle laboratory. Currently, it houses six Transmission Electron Microscopes (TEM) capable of Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDXA) and digital imaging. EMSL’s analytical instrumentation also includes, but is not limited to; three Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEM), Auger Electron Spectroscope (AES) and a High Voltage (200kV) Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), all equipped with state of the art EDXA.

Harnessing the power of this diverse instrumentation allows nanoparticles to be characterized by surface, chemical and morphological components. EMSL is able to offer testing on the following characteristics: surface area, chemical composition, crystallinity, zeta potential, structure size, structure topography, thermal effects, particle size distribution and structure shape. Our scientists and engineers also offer a fully customizable nano analysis to fit within the scope of any analytical needs.

With extensive nanoparticle studies for the Federal Government and Fortune 500 Industrial customers, EMSL’s clients can rest assured that their project will receive the scientific attention and expertise it deserves.

• Nano Silica makes electrical components smaller and more powerful, and is used in paints and clothing to help them resist stains.
• Nano Zinc and Nano Titanium Dioxide help to make sunscreens and lotions transparent and more easily absorbed.
• Nanoparticles are used in toothpastes, shampoos, cosmetics and car paints. Drug delivery systems even harness their unique properties to target specific areas of the body.
• Nano Titanium Dioxide is found in dozens of popular foods where it is used as a thickener and whitening agent.
• Silver Nanoparticles are added to products, such as socks and wound dressings, for their germ killing effects.