Science Inventory

Advancing the Understanding of Environmental Transformations, Bioavailability and Effects of Nanomaterials; an International US Environmental Protection Agency-UK Environmental Nanoscience Initiative Joint Program

Citation:

Lasat, M., K. Chung, J. Lead, S. McGrath, R. Owen, S. Rocks, J. Unrine, AND J. Zhang. Advancing the Understanding of Environmental Transformations, Bioavailability and Effects of Nanomaterials; an International US Environmental Protection Agency-UK Environmental Nanoscience Initiative Joint Program. Journal of Environmental Protection. Scientific Research Publishing, Inc., Irvine, CA, 9(4):385-404, (2018).

Impact/Purpose:

In 2009, The UKENI and USEPA/ORD’s Science to Achieve Results (STAR) grants program announced the development of a bilateral nanotechnology research program with financial support provided jointly by UKENI, USEPA and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (USCPSC). The program issued a call for proposals and subsequently funded three large, interdisciplinary UK-US consortia. The purpose of this paper is to summarize and integrate research results obtained by the three consortia in the transatlantic program.

Description:

Nanotechnology has significant economic, health, and environmental benefits, including renewable energy and innovative environmental solutions. Manufactured nanoparticles have been incorporated into new materials and products because of their novel or enhanced properties. These very same properties also have prompted concerns about the potential environmental and human health hazard and risk posed by the manufactured nanomaterials. Appropriate risk management responses require development of models capable of predicting the environmental and human health effects of the nanomaterials. Development of predictive models has been hampered by a lack of information concerning the environmental fate, behavior and effects of manufactured nanoparticles. The United Kingdom (UK) Environmental Nanoscience Initiative and the United States (US) Environmental Protection Agency have developed an international research program to enhance the knowledgebase and develop risk-predicting models for manufactured nanoparticles. The program sought to maximize the complementary strengths of the transatlantic scientific communities by funding three integrated US-UK consortia to investigate the transformation of these nanoparticles in terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric environment. Research results demonstrate there is a functional relationship between the physicochemical properties of environmentally transformed nanomaterials and their effect and that this relationship is amenable to modeling. In addition, the joint transatlantic program has allowed the leveraging of additional funding, promoting transboundary scientific collaboration.

Record Details:

Record Type:DOCUMENT( JOURNAL/ PEER REVIEWED JOURNAL)
Product Published Date:04/02/2018
Record Last Revised:05/10/2018
OMB Category:Other
Record ID: 340680