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MEERT Nanomaterial Ecological Process Modeling
Citation:
LOUX, N. T. MEERT Nanomaterial Ecological Process Modeling. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/S-09/023, 2009.
Impact/Purpose:
Update of the MEERT (NERL/ERD Athens) nanomaterial ecological process modeling program.
Description:
The 2001 U.S. National Nanomaterial Initiative was established in order to coordinate U.S. nanotechnology research and development. Although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) Office of Research and Development (ORD) participated in the initial effort, the U.S. EPA ORD National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL) established a nanomaterial research program in 2005. Subsequently, based on previous core NERL-Athens research, the NERL-Athens Multimedia Ecological Exposure Research Team (MEERT) incorporated a Nanomaterial Ecological Process Model effort into the overall MEERT program. MEERT is designed to develop multimedia tools useful for assessing ecological conditions and stressors. However, as noted by the EPA Science Advisory Board, multimedia modeling tools should be “living” programs that are upgraded concurrently with advances in the fields of scientific and technical research. Specifically, the MEERT Nano program represents a “futures” component of the overall MEERT program.