Environmental, legal, health, and safety issue of nanocellulose

Abstract

Excessive anthropogenic needs of various useful yet environmentally harmful materials such as plastic put tremendous pressure on the planet, eventually causing multiple environmental and health impacts. This chapter aims to elucidate and focus onapossible emerging solution-nanocellulose-to curb all such environmental problems. In recent years nanocellulose-based composites have attracted significant scientific community and industrial innovations because of their biocompatible, biodegradable, and high physicochemical properties. Nanocellulose is usually obtained from plants, that is, cellulose nanofibrils and nanocellulosic crystals. Another type of composite is bacterial in origin and known as bacterial cellulose. These materials are nanoscale in size usually ranges from less than 10 to 100 nm in length. Such smaller size and certain physicochemical properties, including mechanical, optical, and thermal properties, make them ideal for various products. Nanocellulose is reported to be extensively used in biomedical devices, biosensors, water pollutant removal, and paper and packaging industries. Despite many positive aspects, the health/safety, environmental, and certain regulatory issues related to nanocellulose production and usage are still debatable among scientists and lawmakers. However, still extensive research is needed to formulateasafe, sustainable, and efficient production and usage of nanocellulose-based innovative materials to obtain an overall sustainable system. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.