The role of alternative testing strategies in environmental risk assessment of engineered nanomaterials

Hjorth, Rune; Holden, Patricia A.; Hansen, Steffen Foss; Colman, Benjamin P.; Grieger, Khara; Hendren, Christine Ogilvie

doi:10.1039/c6en00443a

Cited by 21 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…In the last decade, there have been numerous reviews on the ecotoxicity of NMs (Handy et al 2008a(Handy et al , 2012a(Handy et al , 2012bKlaine et al 2008;Kahru and Dubourguier 2010;Fabrega et al 2011;Levard et al 2012;Schultz et al 2014;Adam et al 2015;Bour et al 2016aBour et al , 2016bGarner et al 2015;Semenzin et al 2015;Hjorth et al 2017a). A number of systematic reviews have discussed ecotoxicity databases and the quality and regulatory adequacy of the data therein (Hartmann et al 2017;Hjorth et al 2017b).…”

Section: Nm Hazard and Assessment In Aquatic Ecosystemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nanomaterials in the environment: Behavior, fate, bioavailability, and effects—An updated review

Lead

Batley

Alvarez

et al. 2018

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

494

250

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The present review covers developments in studies of nanomaterials (NMs) in the environment since our much cited review in 2008. We discuss novel insights into fate and behavior, metrology, transformations, bioavailability, toxicity mechanisms, and environmental impacts, with a focus on terrestrial and aquatic systems. Overall, the findings were that: 1) despite substantial developments, critical gaps remain, in large part due to the lack of analytical, modeling, and field capabilities, and also due to the breadth and complexity of the area; 2) a key knowledge gap is the lack of data on environmental concentrations and dosimetry generally; 3) substantial evidence shows that there are nanospecific effects (different from the effects of both ions and larger particles) on the environment in terms of fate, bioavailability, and toxicity, but this is not consistent for all NMs, species, and relevant processes; 4) a paradigm is emerging that NMs are less toxic than equivalent dissolved materials but more toxic than the corresponding bulk materials; and 5) translation of incompletely understood science into regulation and policy continues to be challenging. There is a developing consensus that NMs may pose a relatively low environmental risk, but because of uncertainty and lack of data in many areas, definitive conclusions cannot be drawn. In addition, this emerging consensus will likely change rapidly with qualitative changes in the technology and increased future discharges.

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Section: Nm Hazard and Assessment In Aquatic Ecosystemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nanomaterials in the environment: Behavior, fate, bioavailability, and effects—An updated review

Lead

Batley

Alvarez

et al. 2018

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

494

250

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Due to the complexity of NM types, physicochemical characteristics, and toxic mechanisms, high-throughput screening approaches have been proposed to study the comparative toxicity of various NMs to different standard test organisms [ 9 ]. Also “low-throughput” studies conducted in more complex environmentally relevant systems are needed for elucidating NM bioeffects at either the community or ecosystem levels [ 10 , 11 ]. In either high- or low-throughput nanoecotoxicology, pro- and eukaryotic microorganisms can serve as excellent model systems for screening and also for assessing mechanisms of NM toxicity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Alginic Acid-Aided Dispersion of Carbon Nanotubes, Graphene, and Boron Nitride Nanomaterials for Microbial Toxicity Testing

et al. 2018

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Robust evaluation of potential environmental and health risks of carbonaceous and boron nitride nanomaterials (NMs) is imperative. However, significant agglomeration of pristine carbonaceous and boron nitride NMs due to strong van der Waals forces renders them not suitable for direct toxicity testing in aqueous media. Here, the natural polysaccharide alginic acid (AA) was used as a nontoxic, environmentally relevant dispersant with defined composition to disperse seven types of carbonaceous and boron nitride NMs, including multiwall carbon nanotubes, graphene, boron nitride nanotubes, and hexagonal boron nitride flakes, with various physicochemical characteristics. AA’s biocompatibility was confirmed by examining AA effects on viability and growth of two model microorganisms (the protozoan Tetrahymena thermophila and the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Using 400 mg·L−1 AA, comparably stable NM (200 mg·L−1) stock dispersions were obtained by 30-min probe ultrasonication. AA non-covalently interacted with NM surfaces and improved the dispersibility of NMs in water. The dispersion stability varied with NM morphology and size rather than chemistry. The optimized dispersion protocol established here can facilitate preparing homogeneous NM dispersions for reliable exposures during microbial toxicity testing, contributing to improved reproducibility of toxicity results.

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“…Moreover, the importance of robust experimental design to avoid artifacts and misinterpretations of ENMs testing, including addressing the relevance of exposure concentrations, cannot be underestimated. , Although the current plant nanotoxicology literature is developing rapidly, results are difficult to harmonize because of differences in conditions, concentration, exposure duration, and medium used. There is also significant interest in devising alternative testing strategies (ATS) and new models to replace, reduce and refine traditional platforms that are not appropriate for ENMs …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Engineered Nanomaterial Activity at the Organelle Level: Impacts on the Chloroplasts and Mitochondria

Pagano

Maestri

Caldara

et al. 2018

ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng.

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One of the challenges potentially limiting the continued widespread commercial development and application of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) is the still perceived lack of knowledge on their potential toxic effects. Although evidence has been accumulating on the biological effects of ENMs at the level of cells, tissues, and organisms, wide differences in design make the results so far obtained not easily comparable. More importantly, risk assessment procedures are not sufficiently harmonized. Experimental data from assays involving fungi, plants, and animals have shown that mitochondria and chloroplasts are primary targets of metal-based ENMs. To provide a unifying picture of the molecular mechanisms of nanomaterial action, the aim of this perspective paper is to examine critically the current literature in this area: instances of mitochondrial and chloroplastic involvement in ENMs response are evaluated to describe the interplay between nuclear and organelle genomes observed in different organisms. This paper highlights critical parameters to consider when designing sustainable ENMs and suggests a standardized set of end points that can be sought when assessing the impact of ENMs exposure on environmental and human health.

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The role of alternative testing strategies in environmental risk assessment of engineered nanomaterials

Abstract: Within toxicology there is a pressure to find new test systems to replace, reduce and refine animal testing. In nanoecotoxicology this raises a number of questions.

Cited by 21 publications

References 46 publications

Nanomaterials in the environment: Behavior, fate, bioavailability, and effects—An updated review

Nanomaterials in the environment: Behavior, fate, bioavailability, and effects—An updated review

Alginic Acid-Aided Dispersion of Carbon Nanotubes, Graphene, and Boron Nitride Nanomaterials for Microbial Toxicity Testing

Engineered Nanomaterial Activity at the Organelle Level: Impacts on the Chloroplasts and Mitochondria

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