You are here:
Tools for Assessing Ecological Nanomaterial Exposures
Citation:
LOUX, N. T., B. VERONESI, Y. Su, AND S. A. DIAMOND. Tools for Assessing Ecological Nanomaterial Exposures. Presented at Conference on Aquatic Conservation Science: Merging Theory and Application, Athens, GA, October 03 - 04, 2008.
Impact/Purpose:
see description
Description:
Manufactured nanomaterials (MNs) are commonly defined as being commercial products with at least one dimension in the size range of 1 nm to 100 nm that also possess unique properties as the result of their size. Anecdotal evidence suggests that at least 600 MN products are currently in commercial production and that the number of products in commerce is expected to increase in an exponential fashion. Several national/international organizations with regulatory authority are in the process of assessing whether the existing physical/chemical/toxicological test guidelines that are applied to commercial chemicals are adequate for assessing the environmental risks posed by MNs when intentionally or unintentionally introduced into the environment. In addition, possible new test guidelines are under examination in order to address the unique properties of these products. The environmental dispersal of MNs has the potential to adversely impact such ecosystem services as clean water, food provisioning and recreation. However, due to their unique properties, it is not clear whether existing environmental fate, transport, exposure and persistence models can be expected to provide useful estimates of future biological exposures to these products. This presentation will describe progress made in adapting existing fate,transport and exposure models to this new class of commercial products.