The ecotoxicology of nanoparticles and nanomaterials: current status, knowledge gaps, challenges, and future needs

Richard D. Handy, Richard Owen and Eugenia Valsami-Jones

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There are many types of NMs and the scientific community is making observations on natural and manufactured NP ecotoxicity to inform the wider debate about the risks and benefits of these materials. Data on biological effects show that NPs can be toxic to a variety of organisms.

1. However, much of the ecotoxicological data is limited to species used in regulatory testing and freshwater organisms. Data on bacteria, terrestrial species, marine species and higher plants is particularly lacking.
2. Detailed investigations of absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) remain to be performed on species from the major phyla, although there are some data on fish. There are many challenges ahead, and controversies (e.g., reference substances for ecotoxicology)
3. knowledge transfer from mammalian toxicology, colloid chemistry, as well as material and geological sciences, will enable ecotoxicology studies to move forward in this new multi-disciplinary field.

Ecotoxicology (2008) 17: 315.

The ecotoxicology of nanoparticles and nanomaterials: current status, knowledge gaps, challenges…
This paper introduces a special issue on the ecotoxicology and environmental chemistry of nanoparticles (NPs), and…link.springer.com