Abstract
Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter at the nanoscale. The National Nanotechnology Initiative defines nanotechnology as the manipulation of matter with one or more external dimensions of less than 100 nanometers (one billionth of a meter). The field of nanotechnology is a broad and multidisciplinary area that includes a variety of scientific endeavors such as organic chemistry, molecular biology, materials engineering, semiconductor physics, and fabrication, to name a few. Nanotechnology has the potential to create numerous new solutions to current social, economic, and technological challenges. Novel materials and devices manufactured using nanotechnology have applications in medicine, electronics, energy conversion and storage, water purification, and consumer products. However, the implications of unethical and uncontrolled use of nanotechnology have created an ongoing debate in the scientific community. For example, concerns about the toxicity and environmental impact of these new solutions are fears commonly associated with this emerging field. The growing number of applications that utilize nanotechnology has resulted in the generation of waste containing synthetic (or engineered) nanomaterials. Recent exponential growth in the development of nanomaterials (NMs) and nanoproducts is premised on the provision of novel benefits to the society, but these NMs and nanoproducts have increased in quantity and volume from few kilograms to thousands of tonnes over the last 15 to 20 years, and their uncontrolled release into the environment is anticipated to grow dramatically in future. However, their potential impacts to the biological systems are unknown.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aitken RJ, Chaudhry MQ, Boxall ABA, Hull M (2006) Manufacture and use of nanomaterials: current status in the UK and global trends. Occup Med 56:300–306
Allianz Group. Small sizes that matter (2005) Opportunities and risks of nanotechnologies
Arnot IA, Mackay D, Webster E (2006) Screening level risk assessment model for chemical fate and effects in the environment. Environ Sci Technol 41:2316–2323
Balbus JM, Florini K, Denison RA, Walsh SA (2007) Protecting workers and the environment: an environmental NGO’s perspective on nanotechnology. J Nanotechnol 9:11–22
Ball P (2001) Roll-up for the evolution. Nature 414:142–144
Baun A, Hartmann NB, Grieger K, Kusk KO (2008) Ecotoxicity of nanoparticles to aquatic invertebrates: a brief review and recommendations for future toxicity testing. Ecotoxicology 17:387–395
Bell CL, Austin S, Duvall MN, Cheng JC, Votaw J (2006) Regulation of nanoscale materials under the Toxic Substances Control Act. American Bar Association. Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources
Biswas P, CY W (2005) Nanoparticles and the environment. J Air Waste Manage Assoc 55:708–746
Blaise C, Gagńe F, Frard JF, Eullaffroy P (2008) Ecotoxicity of selected nanomaterials to aquatic organisms. Environ Toxicol. https://doi.org/10.1002/tox
Boxall ABA, Chaudhry Q, Sinclair C, Jones A, Aitken R, Jefferson B, et al (2007) Current and future predicted environmental exposure to nanoparticles. Report for the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs
Brant JA, Labille J, Bottero JY, Wiesner MR (2006) Characterizing the impact of preparation method on fullerene cluster structure and chemistry. Langmuir 22:3878–3885
Breggin LK, Pendergrass J (2007) Where does the nano go? Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars on Emerging Nanotechnology, Washington, DC, 10; 2006
Cheng XK, Kan AT, Tomsom MB (2004) Naphthalene adsorption and desorption from aqueous C-60 fullerene. J Chem Eng Data 49:675–683
Cientifica (2004) The nanotechnology opportunity report. http://www.cientifica.com/
Cientifica (2005) Nanotubes production survey. http://www.cientifica.com/
Colvin VL (2003) The potential environmental impact of nanomaterials. Nat Biotechnol 21(10):1166–1170
Crane M, Handy RD, Garrod J, Owen R (2008) Ecotoxicity test methods and environmental hazard assessment for nanoparticles. Ecotoxicology 17:421–437
Davies JC (2006) Managing the effects of nanotechnology. Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars on Emerging Nanotechnology, Washington, DC
Dick CAJ, Brown DM, Donaldson K, Stone V (2003) The role of free radicals in the toxic and inflammatory effects of four different ultrafine particle types. Inhal Toxicol 15(1):39–52
ETC (2003) The big down: atom tech—technologies converging at the atomic scale. Action Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration, Winnipeg
European Environmental Agency (2001) Late lessons from early warnings: the precautionary principle 1896–2000. Copenhagen: European Environmental Agency 2001
Feynman R (1991) There’s plenty of room at the bottom. Science 254:1300–1301
Fortner JD, Lyon DY, Sayes CM, Boyd AM, Falkner JC, Hotze EM et al (2005) C60 in water: nanocrystal formation and microbial response. Environ Sci Technol 39:4307–4316
Franco A, Hansen SF, Olsen SI, Butti L (2007) Limits and prospects of the “incremental approach” and the European legislation on the management of risks related to nanomaterials. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 48:171–183
Gao J, Bonzongo JCJ, Bitton G, Li Y, CY W (2008) Nanowastes and the environment: using mercury as an example pollutant to assess the environmental fate of chemicals adsorbed onto manufactured nanomaterials. Environ Toxicol Chem 27(4):808–810
Gharbi N, Pressac M, Hadchouel M, Szwarc H, Wilson SR, Moussa F (2005) [60]fullerene is a powerful antioxidant in vivo with no acute or subacute toxicity. Nano Lett 5:2578–2585
Gotovac S, Honda H, Hattori Y, Takahashi K, Kanoh H, Kaneko K (2007) Effect of nanoscale curvature of single-walled carbon nanotubes on adsorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Nano Lett 7:583–587
Hallock MF, Greenley P, DiBerardinis L, Kallin D (2009) Potential risks of nanomaterials and how to safely handle materials of uncertain toxicity. J Chem Health Saf 16(1):16–23
Handy RD, von der Kammer F, Lead JR, Hassellöv M, Owen R, Crane M (2008) The ecotoxicology and chemistry of manufactured nanoparticles. Ecotoxicology 17:287–314
Helland A, Wick P, Koehler A, Schmid K, Som C (2007) Reviewing the environmental and human health knowledge base of carbon nanotubes. Environ Health Perspect 115(8):1125–1131
Henry TB, Menn FM, Fleming JT, Wilgus J, Compton RN, Sayler GS (2007) Attributing effects of aqueous C60 nano-aggregates to tetrahydrofuran decomposition products in larval zebrafish by assessment of gene expression. Environ Health Perspect 115:1059–1065
Hester T. (2006) RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) regulation of wastes from the production, use, and disposal of nanomaterials. American Bar Association, Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources
Hoet PHM, Brüske-Hohlfeld I, Salata OV (2004) Nanoparticles—known and unknown health risks. J Nanobiotechnol 2:12
Holbrook RD, Murphy KE, Morrow JB, Ken D, Cole KD (2008) Trophic transfer of nanoparticles in a simplified invertebrate food web. Nat Nanotechnol 3:352–355
Hu X, Liu J, Mayer P, Jiang G (2008) Impacts of some environmentally relevant parameters on the sorption of polycyclic hydrocarbons to aqueous suspensions of fullerene. Environ Toxicol Chem 27(9):1868–1874
Kahru A, Dubourguier HC (2010) From ecotoxicology to nanoecotoxicology. Toxicology 269:105–119
Kashiwada S (2006) Distribution of nanoparticles in the see-through Medaka (Oryzias latipes). Environ Health Perspect 114(11):1697–1702
Ke PC, Qiao R (2007) Carbon nanomaterials in biological systems. J Phys Conden Matter 19:1–25
Klaine SJ, Alvarez PJJ, Batley GE, Fernandes TF, Handy RD, Lyon DY et al (2008) Nanomaterials in the environment: behavior, fate, bioavailability, and effects. Environ Toxicol Chem 27(9):1825–1851
Klaper R, Crago J, Barr J, Arndt D, Setyowati K, Chen J (2009) Toxicity biomarkerexpression in daphnids exposed to manufactured nanoparticles: changes in toxicitywith functionalization. Environ Poll 157:1152–1156
Kleiner K, Hogan J (2003) How safe is nanotech? New Sci 177:14–15
Knauer K, Sobek A, Bucheli TD (2007) Reduced toxicity of diuron to the freshwater green alga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata in the presence of black carbon. Aquat Toxicol 83:143–148
Lam CW, James JT, McCluskey R, Arepalli S, Hunter RL (2006) A review of carbon nanotube toxicity and assessment of potential occupational and environmental health risks. Crit Rev Toxicol 36:189–217
Lecoanet HF, Bottero JY, Wiesner MR (2004) Laboratory assessment of the mobility of nanomaterials in porous media. Environ Sci Technol 38(19):5164–5169
Leppard GG, Mavrocordatos D, Perret D (2003) Electron-optical characterization of nano- and micro-particles in raw and treated waters: an overview. In: Boller M, editor. Proceedings of nano and microparticles in water and wastewater treatment. Water Sci Technol 50(12):1–8
Limbach LK, Wick P, Manser P, Grass RN, Bruinink A, Stark WJ (2007) Exposure of nanoparticles to human lung epithelial cells: influence of chemical composition and catalytic activity on oxidative stress. Environ Sci Technol 41(11):4158–4163
Limbach LK, Bereiter R, Müller E, Krebs R, Gälli R, Stark WJ (2008) Removal of oxide nanoparticles in a model wastewater treatment plant: influence of agglomeration and surfactants on clearing efficiency. Environ Sci Technol 42(15):5828–5833
Lin AC (2007) Size matters: regulating nanotechnology. Research paper no. 90. Harv Environ Law Rev 31:1–77
Long TC, Saleh N, Tilton RD, Lowry GV, Veronesi B (2006) Titanium dioxide (P25) produces reactive oxygen species in immortalized brain microglia (BV2): implications for nanoparticle neurotoxicity. Environ Sci Technol 40(14):4347–4352
Lovern SB, Klaper RD (2006) Daphnia magna mortality when exposed to titanium nanoparticles and fullerene (C60) nanoparticles. Environ Toxicol Chem 25:1132–1137
Lyon DY, Fortner JD, Sayes CM, Colvin VL, Hughes JB (2005) Bacterial cell association and antimicrobial activity of a C60 water suspension. Environ Toxicol Chem 24(11):2757–2762
Mackay D, McCarty LS, MacLeod M (2001) On the validity of classifying chemicals for persistence, bioaccumulation, toxicity, and potential for long-range transport. Environ Toxicol Chem 20:1491–1498
Maynard AD (2007) Nanotechnology: assessing the risks. Nano Today 1(2):22–33
Maynard AD, Aitken RJ (2007) Assessing exposure to airborne nanomaterials: current abilities and future requirements. Nanotoxicol 1(1):26–41
Maynard AD, Kuempel ED (2005) Airborne nanostructured particles and occupational health. J Nanotechnol Res 7(6):587–614
Mazzolla L (2003) Commercializing nanotechnology. Nat Biotechnol 21(10):1137–1143
Meridian Institute (2005) Nanotechnology and the poor: opportunities and risks, closing the gaps within the society within and between sectors of the society. www.nanoandthepoor.org
Moore MN (2006) Do nanoparticles present toxicological risks for the health of the aquatic environment? Environ Int 32:967–976
Moudgil B (2004) A conference report on: developing experimental approaches for the evaluation of toxicological interactions of nanoscale materials. University of Florida. http://www.stormingmedia.us/52/5200/A520044.html
Mueller NC, Nowack B (2008) Exposure modeling of engineered nanoparticles in the environment. Environ Sci Technol 42(12):4447–4453
Musee N (2011) Nanowastes and the environment: potential new waste management paradigm. Environ Int 37:112–128
Musee N, Lorenzen L, Aldrich C (2008) New methodology for hazardous waste classification using fuzzy set theory. Part I Knowledge acquisition. J Hazard Mater 154:1040–1051
Nanowerk Nanomaterial Database Inventory (2009) http://www.nanowerk.com/phpscripts/n_dbsearch.php. Accessed on 28 May 2009
Nel A, Xia T, Mädler L, Li N (2006) Toxic potential of materials at the nano level. Science 311:622–627
Nowack B, Bucheli TD (2007) Occurrence, behaviour and effects of nanoparticles in the environment. Environ Poll 150:5–22
Oberdörster G, Oberdörster E, Oberdörster J (2005) Nanotoxicology: an emerging discipline evolving from studies of ultrafine particles. Environ Health Perspect 113(7):823–839
Oberdörster E, Zhu SQ, Blickley TM, Clellan-Green P, Haasch ML (2006) Ecotoxicology of carbon-based engineered nanoparticles: effects of fullerene (C-60) on aquatic organisms. Carbon 44:1112–1120
Pal S, Tak YK, Song JM (2007) Does the antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles depend on the shape of the nanoparticle? A study of the gram-negative bacterium Escherichia Coli. Appl Environ Microbiol 73:1712–1720
Paull R, Wolfe J, Herbert P, Sinkula M (2003) Investing in nanotechnology. Nat Biotechnol 21(10):1144–1147
Pitkethly MJ (2003) Nanomaterials—the driving force. NanoToday 12:20–29
Powell MC, Griffin MPA, Tai S (2008) Bottom-up risk regulation? How nanotechnology risk knowledge gaps challenge federal and state environmental agencies. Environ Manag 42:426–443
Re M (2002) Nanotechnology—what is in store for us? Munich Re Group, Munich
Re S (2004) Nanotechnology: small matter, many unknowns. Swiss Re Group, Zurich
Reijinders L (2006) Cleaner nanotechnology and hazard reduction of manufactured nanoparticles. J Clean Prod 67(1):87–108
Roberts AP, Mount AS, Seda B, Souther J, Quio R, Lin S et al (2007) In vivo biomodification of lipid-coated carbon nanotubes by Daphnia Magna. Environ Sci Technol 41:3025–3029
Robichaud CO, Tanzil D, Weilenman U, Wiesner MR (2005) Relative risk analysis of several manufactured nanomaterials: an insurance industry context. Environ Sci Technol 39(22):8985–8994
Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering Report on Nanotechnology (2004) Nanoscience and nanotechnologies: opportunities and uncertainties. The Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering
Schmid K, Riediker M (2008) Use of nanoparticles in Swiss Industry: a targeted survey. Environ Sci Technol 42(7):2253–2260
Shelley SA (2005) Nanotechnology: turning basic science into reality. In: Theorode L, Kuntz RG (eds) Nanotechnology: environmental implications and solutions. Hoboken, Wiley, pp 61–107
Singer PA (2004) Will Prince Charles et al diminish the opportunities of developing countries in nanotechnology? http://nanotechweb.org/articles/society/3/1/1/1
Smith CJ, Shaw BJ, Handy RD (2007) Toxicity of single walled carbon nanotubes on rainbow trout, (Oncorhynchus mykiss): respiratory toxicity, organ pathologies, and other physiological effects. Aquat Toxicol 82:94–109
Sun H, Zhang X, Niu Q, Chen Y, Crittenden HC (2007) Enhanced accumulation of arsenate in carp in the presence of titanium dioxide nanoparticles. Water Air Soil Poll 178:245–254
Swanson MB, Davis GS, Kincaid LE, Schultz TW, Bartmess JE (1997) A screening method for ranking and scoring chemicals by potential human health and environmental impacts. Environ Toxicol Chem 16:371–383
Templeton RC, Ferguson PL, Washburn KM, Scrivens WA, Chandler GT (2006) Life-cycle effects of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) on an estuarine meiobenthic copepod. Environ Sci Technol 40(23):7387–7393
Thomas K, Sayre P (2005) Research strategies for safety evaluation of nanomaterials, part I: evaluating human health implications for exposure to nanomaterials. Toxicol Sci 87(2):316–321
Tiede K, Hassellöv M, Breitbarth E, Chaudhry Q, Boxall ABA (2009) Considerations for environmental fate and ecotoxicity testing to support environmental risk assessments for nanoparticles. J Chromatogr A 1216:503–509
UNEP (1996) Pentachlorophenol and its salts and esters. Operation of the prior informed consent procedure for banned or severely restricted chemicals in international trade. Decision Guidance Document. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, United Nations Environment Programme, Rome, 1991, amended; 1996
Warheit DB (2008) How meaningful are the results of nanotoxicity studies in the absence of adequate material characterization? Toxicol Sci 101:183–185
Warheit DB, Hoke RA, Finla C, Donner EM, Reed KL, Sayes CM (2007) Development of a base set of toxicity tests using ultrafine TiO2 particles as a component of nanoparticle risk management. Toxicol Lett 171:99–110
Westerhoff P, Zhang Y, Crittenden J, Chen Y (2008) Properties of commercial nanoparticles that affect their removal during water treatment. In: Grassian VH (ed) Nanoscience and nanotechnology: environmental and health impacts. Wiley, Hoboken, pp 71–90
Wiesner MR, Lowry GV, Alvarez P, Dionysiou D, Biswas P (2006) Assessing the risks of manufactured nanomaterials. Environ Sci Technol 40(14):4336–4345
Wiesner MR, Hotze EM, Brant JA, Espinasse B (2008) Nanomaterials as possible contaminants: the fullerene example. Wat Sci Technol 57:305–310
Wolfe J, Paull R, Herbert P (2003) The nanotech report. Lux Capital, New York
Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars (2008) A nanotechnology consumer products inventory. Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies; www.nanotechproject.org. Accessed on 15 Jan 2009
Yang K, Zhu L, Xing B (2006) Adsorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by carbon nanomaterials. Environ Sci Technol 40(6):1855–1861
Zhang Y, Chen Y, Westerhoff P, Hristovski K, John C, Crittenden JC (2008) Stability of commercial metal oxide nanoparticles in water. Wat Res 42:2204–2212
Zhu S, Oberdörster E, Haasch ML (2006) Toxicity of an engineered nanoparticle (fullerene, C60) in two aquatic species, Daphnia and fathead minnow. Mar Environ Res 62:S5–S9
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Section Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this entry
Cite this entry
Bakiu, R. (2019). Nanotechnology Interaction with Environment. In: Hussain, C. (eds) Handbook of Environmental Materials Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73645-7_150
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73645-7_150
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-73644-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-73645-7
eBook Packages: Chemistry and Materials ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics