Grantee Research Project Results
2014 Progress Report: Transatlantic Initiative for Nanotechnology and the Environment
EPA Grant Number: R834574Title: Transatlantic Initiative for Nanotechnology and the Environment
Investigators: Unrine, Jason M. , Wiesner, Mark R. , Lowry, Gregory V. , Bertsch, Paul M. , Tsyusko, Olga V. , Casman, Elizabeth , Kabengi, Nadine , Liu, Jie
Current Investigators: Bertsch, Paul M. , Dorey, Robert A , Rocks, Sophie A , McNear, David H. , Unrine, Jason M. , Wiesner, Mark R. , Lowry, Gregory V. , Tsyusko, Olga V. , Neal, Andy , Jefferson, Bruce , Svendsen, Claus , Spurgeon, David , Casman, Elizabeth , Zhang, Hao , Harris, J. , Liu, Jie , Ritz, Karl , Kabengi, Nadine , McGrath, Steve , Lofts, Steve
Institution: University of Kentucky , Duke University , Carnegie Mellon University , Rothamsted Research , Cranfield University , Centre for Ecology and Hydrology , Lancaster University
Current Institution: University of Kentucky , Carnegie Mellon University , Centre for Ecology and Hydrology , Cranfield University , Duke University , Lancaster University , Rothamsted Research
EPA Project Officer: Aja, Hayley
Project Period: August 1, 2010 through September 30, 2014 (Extended to June 30, 2016)
Project Period Covered by this Report: October 1, 2013 through September 23,2014
Project Amount: $2,000,000
RFA: Environmental Behavior, Bioavailability and Effects of Manufactured Nanomaterials - Joint US – UK Research Program (2009) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Chemical Safety for Sustainability
Objective:
We have developed a life cycle perspective inspired conceptual model (CM) that suggests the importance of terrestrial ecosystems as a major repository of ZnO, TiO2, and Ag manufactured nanomaterials (MNMs) introduced via the land application of MNM-containing biosolids. In this project we are investigating the transport, fate, behavior, bioavailability, and effects of MNMs in(to) agroecosystems under environmentally realistic scenarios organized around three key hypotheses:
Hypothesis H1 - Surface chemistry is the primary factor influencing the fate and transport of MNMs in the terrestrial environment as well as the bioavailability and effects to biological receptors;
Hypothesis H2 - Once released to the environment, pristine MNM surfaces will be modified by interactions with organic and inorganic ligands (macromolecules) or via other biogeochemical transformations (aging effects forming a-MNMs); and
Hypothesis H3 - Ecoreceptors will respond to interactions with pristine metal and metal oxide MNMs, a-MNMs, and/or dissolved constituent metal ions and bulk oxides by specific ecological and toxicogenomic responses that will reflect their combined effects.
The overall objectives are to:
O1 - Compare the transport, fate, behavior, bioavailability, and effects of MNMs, a-MNMs, and/or dissolved free metals/bulk oxides to organisms with key terrestrial ecosystem functions, as well as exposure pathways involving humans;
O2 - Determine MNM, surface modified MNM and a-MNM interactions with important biological targets relevant to the BLM and pBRM models and relate these interactions to physicochemical properties;
O3 - Validate models with information generated from experiments designed to address O1 for MNMs introduced through a pilot-scale Waste Water Treatment Process (WWTP) to key terrestrial ecoreceptors, including effects of MNMs on the WWTP itself;
O4 - Determine realistic MNM emission scenarios for Tier 1 MNMs in wastewater from the WWT pilot plant data and develop first generation Life-Cycle-Analysis-inspired Risk Assessment (LCA-RA) model components for terrestrial effects of Tier 1 MNMs and a-MNMS based on data generated in experiments designed to address O1, O2, & O3; and
O5 - Provide tools for in situ detection, monitoring, and characterization of pristine MNMs and a-MNMs in environmental media and biota.
Progress Summary:
Bioavailability and toxicity of Ag and ZnO NPs and selected transformed (weathered) MNMs to C. elegans (UKY). Ongoing studies of pristine and aged (fully sulfidized) Ag NPs in C. elegans are complete and the first manuscript describing these results is accepted for publication with minor revisions. The results indicated that there are particle specific effects and that the relative importance of Ag ions as a contributor to toxicity decreases with increasing Ag concentration. The results of imaging and toxicogenomic studies suggested that toxicity of pristine and aged Ag NPs differs from each other and from that of Ag ions. The mechanism of fully sulfidized Ag NP toxicity is likely related to damage to the cuticle. We now have completed whole genome gene expression profiling of pristine and sulfidized Ag NPs. Little overlap between differentially expressed genes in the pristine, sulfidized and Ag ion treatments suggested distinct modes of toxicity. The importance of several of the differentially expressed genes was investigated using RNA interference and knock out strains. The results of these toxicogenomic experiments are in preparation for publication and will be submitted to a journal prior to the end of the 2014 calendar year.
Exposure Modeling (CMU and Duke). We have developed a 1-dimensional mass balance diagenetic model of the sulfide- and oxygen-dependent chemical transformations of AgNPs in sediments. Results show that the relative abundance of the toxic species Ag+ is extremely low (< 0.01 wt-%), and that environmental conditions play an important role in AgNP fate. The half-life of sulfidized AgNPs can vary from 6.6 years to more than a century depending on oxygen availability in the sediments.
Journal Articles on this Report : 7 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
Other project views: | All 69 publications | 39 publications in selected types | All 39 journal articles |
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Barton LE, Auffan M, Bertrand M, Barakat M, Santaella C, Masion A, Borschneck D, Olivi L, Roche N, Wiesner MR, Bottero J-Y. Transformation of pristine and citrate-functionalized CeO2 nanoparticles in a laboratory-scale activated sludge reactor. Environmental Science & Technology 2014;48(13):7289-7296. |
R834574 (2014) R834574 (Final) |
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Barton LE, Therezien M, Auffan M, Bottero J-Y, Wiesner MR. Theory and methodology for determining nanoparticle affinity for heteroaggregation in environmental matrices using batch measurements. Environmental Engineering Science 2014;31(7):421-427. |
R834574 (2014) R834574 (Final) |
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Choi J, Tsyusko OV, Unrine JM, Chatterjee N, Ahn J-M, Yang X, Thornton BL, Ryde IT, Starnes D, Meyer JN. A micro-sized model for the in vivo study of nanoparticle toxicity: what has Caenorhabditis elegans taught us? Environmental Chemistry 2014;11(3):227-246. |
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Dale AL, Lowry GV, Casman EA. Modeling nanosilver transformations in freshwater sediments. Environmental Science & Technology 2013;47(22):12920-12928. |
R834574 (2013) R834574 (2014) R834574 (Final) |
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Ma R, Levard C, Judy JD, Unrine JM, Durenkamp M, Martin B, Jefferson B, Lowry GV. Fate of zinc oxide and silver nanoparticles in a pilot wastewater treatment plant and in processed biosolids. Environmental Science & Technology 2014;48(1):104-112. |
R834574 (2014) R834574 (Final) |
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Money ES, Barton LE, Dawson J, Reckhow KH, Wiesner MR. Validation and sensitivity of the FINE Bayesian network for forecasting aquatic exposure to nano-silver. Science of The Total Environment 2014;473-474:685-691. |
R834574 (2014) R834574 (Final) |
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Rathnayake S, Unrine JM, Judy J, Miller A-F, Rao W, Bertsch PM. A multitechnique investigation of the pH dependence of phosphate induced transformations of ZnO nanoparticles. Environmental Science & Technology 2014;48(9):4757-4764. |
R834574 (2014) R834574 (Final) |
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Supplemental Keywords:
environmental nanotechnology, nanotoxicology, environmental chemistry, ecological and human health risks of manufactured nanomaterials, chemical speciation, biosensors, environmental chemistry, biogeochemistryProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe 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.
Project Research Results
- Final Report
- 2015 Progress Report
- 2013 Progress Report
- 2012 Progress Report
- 2011 Progress Report
- Original Abstract
39 journal articles for this project