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Sampling and Analysis of Nanomaterials in the Environment: A State-of-Science Review
Citation:
VARNER, K. E., B. A. SCHUMACHER, AND E. M. HEITHMAR. Sampling and Analysis of Nanomaterials in the Environment: A State-of-Science Review. Presented at 42nd Western Regional Meeting American Chemical Society, Las Vegas, NY, September 23 - 27, 2008.
Impact/Purpose:
Presentation
Description:
EPA is concerned with new and emerging contaminants. The Agency needs to understand long-term health and environmental effects of materials and communicate exposure, risks and benefits appropriately to the public. Among EPA’s concerns are the various commercially manufactured nanoscale materials. The unknowns of ecological and human health effects associated with exposure to these products are of concern for EPA’s National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL). EPA’s intent is to seek information regarding the manufacturing process and chemicals released during the nanomaterial product’s life cycle. NERL’s contribution of the literature review outlines the state-of-the-science regarding sampling, sample handling, sample preservation, nanomaterial separation, and analysis of nanomaterials in the environment. Our concern is the nature of occurrence of anthropogenic nanomaterials in the environment and available methods to collect, separate, detect, identify and quantify them. The report identifies various analytical methods and their uses, method performance characteristics, similarities and differences of various methods, effectiveness of the methods, as well as citations of current literature.