Grantee Research Project Results

2014 Progress Report: NCCLCs: Life Cycle of Nanomaterials (LCnano)

EPA Grant Number: R835580
Title: NCCLCs: Life Cycle of Nanomaterials (LCnano)
Investigators: Westerhoff, Paul , Hutchison, James E. , Fairbrother, D. Howard , Plata, Desirée L. , Theis, Thomas L.
Current Investigators: Westerhoff, Paul , Fairbrother, D. Howard , Theis, Thomas L. , Hutchison, James E. , Plata, Desirée L.
Institution: Arizona State University , University of Illinois at Chicago , The Johns Hopkins University , Duke University , University of Oregon
Current Institution: Arizona State University , Carnegie Mellon University , Colorado School of Mines , Duke University , Oregon State University , Purdue University , The Johns Hopkins University , University of Illinois at Chicago , University of Oregon , Yale University
EPA Project Officer: Aja, Hayley
Project Period: March 19, 2014 through March 18, 2018 (Extended to August 30, 2019)
Project Period Covered by this Report: December 1, 2013 through November 30,2014
Project Amount: $5,000,000
RFA: EPA/NSF Networks for Characterizing Chemical Life Cycle (NCCLCs) (2013) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Chemical Safety for Sustainability

Objective:

Because engineered nanomaterials (NMs) have transformative benefits to individuals and society, they are being incorporated into many products. However, tremendous uncertainty presently exists in our ability to predict or manage risks from nano-enabled products across their life cycles. This project involves an interdisciplinary team of chemists, toxicologists, scientists, engineers, and social scientists to evaluate the trade-offs between intended function of NMs in products and risks to humans and the environment across their life cycle from creation, through use and disposal.

We hypothesize that the desirable physicochemical properties that create unique NM functionality can also influence inherent hazards and potential exposure routes. LCnanos overarching goal is to elucidate NM property-exposure and property-hazard relationships from a life cycle perspective and to provide predictive models for unintended implications of NMs that will improve design of safe nano-enabled products and processes. To inform risk managers, LCnano will employ high throughput functional assays to quantify material attributes that serve as proxies for short- and long-term risk (material exposure, hazard, reactivity, and distribution). To inform designers of nano-enabled products about balances between performance and risk, LCnano will evaluate nano-enabled products for facilitating direct and translational methods in the development of material property-exposure and property-hazard relationships for identifying and subsequently minimizing risk for a wide array of existing products, helping ensure sustainable design of future, transformative nano-enabled products.

Progress Summary:

Research activities were organized and structured around workplans with each university partner in the network contributing to part of the workplan. Four workplans were initiated in year 1, including ones on: 1) nano-silver coated fabrics, 2) chemical-mechanical planarization nanoparticles (NPs) used for polishing, 3) nano-silver impregnated polymers, and 4) nano TiO₂ and SiO₂ in foods. For example, under Workplan #1 LCnano synthesized silver NPs and coated fabrics in collaboration with an industrial partner, in addition to procuring fabrics from outside vendors. We quantified nano-silver in wastestreams during synthesis of the fabrics, simulated washing, outdoor weathering, and end-of-life. Silver released across this lifecycle was characterized chemically, morphologically, and biologically, and run through a number of functional assays. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) were developed for simulating use, performing functional assays, and conducting analytical testing. A critical review article based upon literature related to Ag-fabrics is under preparation, and another article on the life-cycle of nano-silver in fabrics based upon our networks experimental work is also underway. Similar details were initiated for the other workplans. Overall, our team has formulated mechanisms to work together on complex product lines, has generated extensive preliminary experimental datasets, and has begun dissemination of the findings to the public through presentations and publications.

Future Activities:

We do not anticipate any changes in plans or schedules. The team has nearly completed workplan #1 and continues progress on workplans 2 through 4. A new workplan (#5) is being developed in a collaborative way that builds our team-science concepts and will focus on comparing flame retardant fabrics developed using carbon nanotubes against current brominated flame retardant strategies. Our team initiated a long-term outdoor study of natural weathering of nano-enabled materials in 4 geographically diverse locations across the USA. Publication and presentation plans are now progressing well.

Journal Articles on this Report : 7 Displayed | Download in RIS Format

Publications Views
Other project views:	All 134 publications	73 publications in selected types	All 73 journal articles

Publications
Type	Citation	Project	Document Sources
Journal Article	Bisesi Jr. JH, Merten J, Liu K, Parks AN, Afrooz AR, Glenn JB, Klaine SJ, Kane AS, Saleh NB, Ferguson PL, Sabo-Altwood T. Tracking and quantification of single-walled carbon nanotubes in fish using near infrared fluorescence. Environmental Science & Technology 2014;48(3):1973-1983.	R835580 (2014) R835580 (2015) R835580 (2016) R835580 (2017) R835580 (2018) R835551 (Final)	Abstract from PubMed Full-text: ACS-Full Text HTML Exit Abstract: ACS-Abstract Exit Other: ACS-Full Text PDF Exit
Journal Article	Doudrick K, Nosaka T, Herckes P, Westerhoff P. Quantification of graphene and graphene oxide in complex organic matrices. Environmental Science: Nano 2015;2(1):60-67.	R835580 (2014) R835580 (2015) R835580 (2016) R835580 (2017) R835580 (2018)	Abstract: Royal Society of Chemistry-Abstract Exit Other: ResearchGate-Abstract Exit
Journal Article	Faust JJ, Doudrick K, Yang Y, Westerhoff P, Capco DG. Food grade titanium dioxide disrupts  intestinal brush border microvilli in vitro independent of sedimentation. Cell Biology and  Toxicology 2014;30(3):169-188.	R835580 (2014) R835580 (2015) R835580 (2016) R835580 (2017) R835580 (2018)	Abstract from PubMed Abstract: Springer-Abstract Exit Other: ResearchGate-Abstract Exit
Journal Article	Gilbertson LM, Busnaina AA, Isaacs JA, Zimmerman JB, Eckelman MJ. Life cycle impacts and benefits of a carbon nanotube-enabled chemical gas sensor. Environmental Science & Technology 2014;48(19):11360-11368.	R835580 (2014) R835580 (2015) R835580 (2016) R835580 (2017) R835580 (2018)	Abstract from PubMed Full-text: ACS-Full Text HTML Exit Abstract: ACS-Abstract Exit Other: ACS-Full Text PDF Exit
Journal Article	Gilbertson LM, Melnikov F, Wehmas LC, Anastas PT, Tanguay RL, Zimmerman JB. Toward safer multi-walled carbon nanotube design: establishing a statistical model that relates surface charge and embryonic zebrafish mortality. Nanotoxicology 2016;10(1):10-19.	R835580 (2014) R835580 (2015) R835580 (2016) R835580 (2017) R835580 (2018)	Full-text from PubMed Abstract from PubMed Associated PubMed link Abstract: Informa-Abstract Exit Other: ResearchGate-Abstract Exit
Journal Article	Reed RB, Faust JJ, Yang Y, Doudrick K, Capco DG, Hristovski K, Westerhoff P. Characterization of nanomaterials in metal colloid-containing dietary supplement drinks and assessment of their potential interactions after ingestion. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 2014;2(7):1616-1624.	R835580 (2014) R835580 (2015) R835580 (2016) R835580 (2017) R835580 (2018)	Full-text: ACS-Full Text HTML Exit Abstract: ACS-Abstract Exit Other: ACS-Full Text PDF Exit
Journal Article	Yang Y, Wang Y, Hristovski K, Westerhoff P. Simultaneous removal of nanosilver and fullerene in sequencing batch reactors for biological wastewater treatment. Chemosphere 2015;125:115-121.	R835580 (2014) R835580 (2015) R835580 (2016) R835580 (2017) R835580 (2018)	Abstract from PubMed Full-text: ScienceDirect-Full Text HTML Exit Abstract: ScienceDirect-Abstract Exit Other: ScienceDirect-Full Text PDF Exit

Supplemental Keywords:

nanotechnology, exposure, risk, ecological effects, bioavailability, particulates, effluent, metals, aquatic, water, life cycle analysis, Bayesian, environmental chemistry, engineering, modeling, measurement methods

Relevant Websites:

LCnano | Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering | Arizona State University / Exit

Progress and Final Reports:

Original Abstract

The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.