Environmental risks of engineered nanomaterials

Comprehensive probabilistic modelling of environmental emissions of engineered nanomaterials.

Concerns about the environmental risks of engineered nanomaterials (ENM) are growing, however, currently very little is known about their concentrations in the environment. Here, we calculate the concentrations of five ENM (nano-TiO2, nano-ZnO, nano-Ag, CNT and fullerenes) in environmental and technical compartments using probabilistic material-flow modelling. We apply the newest data on ENM pr...

Modeling the Environmental Release and Exposure of Engineered Nanomaterials

Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are used in a broad spectrum of consumer products. The particle size at the nano-range gives ENMs particular physicochemical properties that may lead to exceptional performance regarding parameters such as e.g. surface reactivity, conductivity, porosity, solubility, crystallinity, optical sensitivity, bio-persistence, etc. Apart from a large range of potential be...

Nanotechnology: Health and environmental risks of nanomaterials - Research Strategy

Immunological properties of engineered nanomaterials.

Most research on the toxicology of nanomaterials has focused on the effects of nanoparticles that enter the body accidentally. There has been much less research on the toxicology of nanoparticles that are used for biomedical applications, such as drug delivery or imaging, in which the nanoparticles are deliberately placed in the body. Moreover, there are no harmonized standards for assessing th...

Scientists versus Regulators: Precaution, Novelty & Regulatory Oversight as Predictors of Perceived Risks of Engineered Nanomaterials

Engineered nanoscale materials (ENMs) present a difficult challenge for risk assessors and regulators. Continuing uncertainty about the potential risks of ENMs means that expert opinion will play an important role in the design of policies to minimize harmful implications while supporting innovation. This research aims to shed light on the views of 'nano experts' to understand which nanomateria...