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Toxicity of engineered nanoparticles in the environment
Melissa A Maurer-Jones1, Ian L Gunsolus, Catherine J Murphy
1Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States.
Analytical Chemistry
|February 23, 2013
Summary
Engineered nanoparticles pose environmental risks due to increased use. This review summarizes their toxicity to bacteria, plants, and animals, highlighting challenges in eco-nanotoxicity that analytical chemists can solve.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Toxicology
- Analytical Chemistry
- Econanotoxicology
Background:
- Nanoparticles are naturally occurring and have historical uses.
- Increased production and application of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) lead to environmental release.
- Understanding the environmental impact of ENPs is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize current knowledge on the toxicity of ENPs.
- To assess ENP toxicity across different trophic levels.
- To identify challenges in the field of eco-nanotoxicology.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on ENP toxicity.
- Analysis of toxicity data for various organisms (bacteria, plants, aquatic/terrestrial animals).
- Identification of research gaps and challenges in eco-nanotoxicology.
Main Results:
- ENPs exhibit toxicity to organisms across diverse trophic levels.
- Data on ENP toxicity is available for bacteria, plants, and multicellular organisms.
- Significant challenges exist in assessing and predicting ENP environmental risks.
Conclusions:
- The environmental release of ENPs necessitates a thorough understanding of their eco-toxicological effects.
- Further research is needed to address the challenges in eco-nanotoxicology.
- Analytical chemists are well-positioned to tackle these challenges through advanced characterization and detection methods.
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