One of the miracles of manufacturing new products today is the use of nanomaterials — extremely small substances. Think of a piece of paper you’re holding in your hands. Look at the edge of the paper and imagine something 100,000 times smaller.
Nanomaterials are found in all kinds of products we every day, things like sunscreen, car paint, and clothing. While the tiny particles have dramatically improved the performance of many products, there’s a downside: Scientists are finding that nanomaterials are often being washed into our lakes and streams.
On this edition of UWM Today, we talk to a UW-Milwaukee researcher who’s studying the effects of nanomaterials on our environment. Rebecca Klaper is a professor in UWM’s School of Freshwater Sciences.
