Reviews of the toxicity behavior of five potential engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) into the aquatic ecosystem

Abstract

Presently, engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are used in a wide variety of commercial applications, resulting in an uncontrolled introduction into the aquatic environment. The purpose of this review is to summarize the pathways and factors that controlling the transport and toxicity of five extensively used ENMs. These toxicological pathways are of great importance and need to be addressed for sustainable implications of ENMs without environmental liabilities. Here we discuss five potentially utilized ENMs with their possible toxicological risk factors to aquatic plants, vertebrates model and microbes. Moreover, the key effect of ENMs surface transformations by significant reaction with environmental objects such as dissolved natural organic matter (DOM) and the effect of ENMs surface coating and surface charge will also be debated. The transformations of ENMs are subsequently facing a major ecological transition that is expected to create a substantial toxicological effect towards the ecosystem. These transformations largely involve chemical and physical processes, which depend on the properties of both ENMs and the receiving medium. In this review article, the critical issues that controlling the transport and toxicity of ENMs are reviewed by exploiting the latest reports and future directions and targets are keenly discussed to minimize the pessimistic effects of ENMs.

Challenges and Directions for Green Chemical Engineering—Role of Nanoscale Materials

“…132 These impacts may include aquatic ecotoxicity in freshwater or benthic organisms, which is widely studied, albeit through highly variable methodological approaches. 133 At a broader scale, long-term accumulation of nanomaterials in nature may result in impacts to ecosystem function and services. While these risks are still uncertain, early research suggests that they may include increased predation, decreased population growth and reproduction, and shifts in underlying microbial ecology underpinning ecosystem processes.…”

Nanosafety

“…High-efficiency particulate air filtered vacuum cleaners with a combination of wet wiping is more suitable for most nanomaterial clean-up [22,23]. Energetic cleaning methods such as dry cleaning or the use of compressed air should be prohibited [24]. Collect spill cleanup materials in a tightly closed container.…”

Transformations of Metal Nanoparticles in the Aquatic Environment and Threat to Environmental Safety

“…Źródło: Opracowanie własne na podstawie [2], [10][11][12][13][14][15]. It should be noted that the uncontrolled introduction of metal nanoparticles and metal oxides to the environment is particularly dangerous due to their durability and accumulation in organisms, since, similarly to metals in the macro scale, they are not subject to biodegradation, even if they are supplied periodically and in limited amounts.…”

“…The impact of nanoparticles on the environment has been studied not only in terms of interactions with NOM [19], [25], [32], [35], [40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48] but also in the context of the possibility of aggregation [23], [38], [40][41], [49][50], the impact of pH on nanoparticle transformation [19], [51][52][53][54][55] and the presence and concentration of various inorganic ions [25], [42], [56][57]. Liu et al [56] noticed that in the presence of CaCl�, the formation of ZnO NP aggregates was more effective than for NaCl and KCl [56].…”

“…Oddziaływanie nanocząstek na środowisko badano nie tylko pod kątem interakcji z NOM [19], [25], [32], [35], [40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48], ale także pod względem m.in. możliwości występowania agregacji [23], [38], [40][41], [49][50], wpływu pH na przemiany nanoczą-…”