Encyclopedia of Nanotechnology

2012 Edition
| Editors: Bharat Bhushan

Exposure and Toxicity of Metal and Oxide Nanoparticles to Earthworms

Reference work entry
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9751-4_183
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Synonyms

 Bioaccessibility/bioavailability;  Lumbricidae/oligochaeta/earthworms;  Soil/terrestrial ecosystem/terrestrial compartment;  Toxicity/ecotoxicity;  Uptake/internalization/sequestration/biodistribution

Definition

Exposure and toxicity are the two variables that are required to assess the risk that a substance poses to an organism or the environment. Exposure determines to which extent an organism enters in contact with a substance, while toxicity measures to which extent an organism is impaired by the substance.

Background

The increasing use of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) in consumer products is leading to a new type of environmental pollution for which the knowledge related to environmental hazards and risks is very limited. Toxicity and even ecotoxicity have been examined for a range of ENMs, and a majority of the reports conclude that several ENMs have toxic properties under certain conditions. Yet, exposure conditions seem to govern the outcome of such studies which...

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2012

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Department of Plant and Environmental SciencesNorwegian University of Life SciencesÅsNorway
  2. 2.Bioforsk Soil and EnvironmentÅsNorway