Evaluation of Nanoparticle Behavior During Transitions from Engineered to Natural Systems

对纳米材料在越来越多的消费品中的使用的日益关注要求对人类和环境健康的潜在风险进行坦率的评估。典型的风险评估情景要求了解：1）危险源，2）在自然或工程系统中的迁移，3）受体的接触。该研究奖将重点关注这三个组成部分的评估。表征和量化的物理/化学变化的纳米粒子从工程系统转移到自然系统时，将实现使用一系列独特的实验程序，观察率和配体交换的程度，在颗粒形态的变化，并通过地下media.The本研究的目的，以确定潜在的源项的纳米粒子在自然系统中使用的定量风险评估。这将通过量化从工程系统到天然系统的过渡期间纳米颗粒的物理和化学变化的速率和程度来实现（例如，当释放到天然沃茨中时的纳米颗粒行为）。研究结果可用于通过确定纳米颗粒在自然环境中可能是移动的和在自然沃茨中的生物可用性来告知风险分析。作为这项工作更广泛影响的一部分，研究人员将在克莱姆森创建一个本科生创造性探究（UCI）研究小组。UCI是一个克莱姆森广泛关注团队为基础的本科研究，超越阶级和学科。研究人员将从所有学科中招募有积极性的本科生，特别是PI？该计划将在环境工程和地球科学系、化学和生物分子工程系以及材料科学和工程系中针对处于不同教育阶段的8名学生，并优先考虑妇女和少数民族学生。 UCI小组的目标是首先对与不同类别纳米材料相关的毒性和危害以及潜在接触的运输和途径有关的所有已发表文献进行详尽的文献检索。这些数据将根据纳米材料的化学和形态学特性进行严格评价和分类。

Increasing concern over the use of nanomaterials in an expanding variety of consumer products requires a frank assessment of the potential risk to human and environmental health. Typical risk assessment scenarios require an understanding of 1) the source of the hazard, 2) transport in either natural or engineered systems resulting in 3) exposure of a receptor. This research award will focus on the these three components of this assessment. Characterization and quantification of physical/chemical changes in nanoparticles when transferred from engineered to natural systems will be achieved using a series of unique experimental procedures to observe rates and extent of ligand exchange, changes in particle morphology, and transport through subsurface media.The objective of this research to define the potential source term of nanoparticles in natural systems to be used in a quantitative risk assessment. This will be achieved by quantifying the rate and extent of physical and chemical changes in nanoparticles during transitions from engineered to natural systems (e.g. nanoparticle behavior when released into natural waters). Research results can be used to inform risk analysis by identifying the nanoparticles likely to be mobile in natural environments and biologically available in natural waters. As part of the broader impact of this work, the researchers will create an Undergraduate Creative Inquiry (UCI) research group at Clemson. UCI is a Clemson wide focus on team-based undergraduate research that transcends both class and discipline. The researchers will recruit motivated undergraduate students from all disciplines, especially those in the PI?s departments of Environmental Engineering and Earth Science, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Material Science and Engineering to target a group of eight students at different stages in their education with priority given to women and minority students. The goals of the UCI group will be to initially perform an exhaustive literature search on all published literature pertaining to the toxicity and hazards associated with different classes of nanomaterials, as well as the transport and routes of potential exposure. This data will be critically evaluated and classified based on the chemical and morphological properties of the nanomaterials.